MAYIM Bialik has been dropped from her role as the joint host of Jeopardy – just a year after she was offered a permanent role.
The game show host and author suddenly announced that she was let go from her role, resulting in a lot of speculation as to why.
Why was Mayim Bialik fired from Jeopardy?
Although there was some initial controversy over why Mayim was fired, in the last few days the entertainment journalist Matthew Belloni has revealed exactly what happened.
In his weekly newsletter he shared the three issues that left Sony: “done with Mayim Bialik.”
The report claimed: “Bialik’s actions during the strike were at least a contributing factor, according to three sources close to the show.”
Mayim hadn’t actually worked on Jeopardy since last May.
When the WGA went on strike, the former game show host walked out of the studio – later citing solidarity for her union.
The report went on to reveal that the executive producers were furious when she left filming in the final week of the season.
It added that there were other factors that influenced the decision – like the fact that she wasn’t well received by audiences.
Last year fans of the show flooded a Reddit thread suggesting that Mayim should be let go.
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Many argued that Ken Jennings was a better host.
One user wrote: “Seriously, I don’t even dislike Mayim, but the game is so much better when Ken hosts. It’s a completely different vibe, and Jeopardy feels more ‘serious’ with Ken.”
While another added: “Her cadence is so off. It’s unsettling to watch. It’s like watching a band live when the drummer can’t keep a straight beat. I just can’t with that so I had to quit watching after years.”
What was the controversy over Mayim Bialik’s firing?
It was initially claimed that Mayim’s refusal to work during the strike didn’t upset the bosses; instead, it prompted them to rethink their dual host system, ultimately leading to her departure.
“The bosses weren’t mad when Mayim refused to work during this year’s strike,” sources told TMZ.
Instead, they claimed that her hiatus “opened executives’ eyes about their dual host system, and that’s why they moved on.”
It was claimed that: “Mayim stepping away gave Ken an opportunity, and he took it and ran with it, improving his hosting skills while she was away.”
Sources also said that they wanted to keep the door open for her, and offered a position on this season of Jeopardy but Mayim allegedly pushed back.
It was claimed that she demanded an all or nothing approach, and refused to participate.
When did Mayim become the host of Jeopardy?
Mayim first started hosting the show in August 2021 after she was hired alongside Ken to replace Alex Trebek – who had tragically died.
The pair started temporary hosting duties until they were offered permanent roles in 2022.
Throughout her time there she faced a lot of criticism from Jeopardy! fans.
Earlier this year, she addressed some of the backlash she’s received in a video on her YouTube.
She answered a question from a fan that said: “What do you do when you feel useless, irrelevant, and worthless, or do you not ever feel that way?”
Mayim replied: “Great question – I do feel that way and it’s kind of a hard question to answer because, obviously, from where I’m sitting, I have a platform and I get to talk to people.
“I would say I am grateful I have the opportunity to be here, but I’m still a human and I often feel like what I’m doing is not what I’m supposed to be doing or I’m not doing it well enough.”
What are Mayim Bialik’s plans now?
It has been claimed that Sony still recognizes Mayim’s talents, and that they hope to work with her in the future.
One source stated that they are hopeful she will return to host primetime specials.
It is currently unclear whether she will consider this offer in the future.
The former game show host has only been spotted once since being let go – on a solo outing in Los Angeles.