JEOPARDY! fans are slamming the higher-ups for brazenly sidestepping the elephant in the room – the decision to let go of Mayim Bialik.
The actress’ firing last Friday was not mentioned on the official podcast Inside Jeopardy! despite the episode being recorded post-announcement.
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Inside Jeopardy! is hosted by seasoned producer and former Clue Crew member Sarah Foss.
It dissects the latest game show happenings and recaps episodes from the previous week.
The pod is the main source of inside information about Jeopardy!.
It claims to be the “exclusive destination for all things happening in the world of Jeopardy!” with a promise to cover “official announcements.”
Often accompanied by Executive Producer Michael Davies, Foss was joined by former champ Buzzy Cohen for December 18’s installment.
This particular episode seemed to have been recorded three days after Mayim, 48, was axed.
Foss greeted listeners with: “Happy December 18!” to which Cohen added: “Yes, that classic one week before Christmas.”
“But in the world of Jeopardy!, it’s all about second chances; this is kicking off tomorrow,” Foss remarked, referring to the ongoing Season 39 Second Chance contest.
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Despite the timing of Mayim’s dismissal, her name was conspicuously absent throughout the 42-minute podcast.
‘NO MENTION OF THE MAYIM SITUATION’
Fans on Reddit expressed surprise, one reacting: “For anyone curious, there was no mention of the Mayim situation. Kind of weird for a podcast that bills itself as ‘All Things in the World of Jeopardy!'”
Another user speculated: “Sarah is a Company Man through and through. She won’t say a word on that podcast unless Sony tells her it is ok.”
A third user defended: “It’s not just her – Inside Jeopardy! is a company podcast. Everything on there has their approval. I still find it a worthwhile and often enjoyable podcast though.”
Addressing the issue of acknowledgment, a fourth user opined: “If they’re going to acknowledge this on the podcast it doesn’t make sense to me for Sarah to do it.
“That should be handled by Davies in my opinion. It would seemingly be a decision made above Sarah, so she shouldn’t be the one to have to defend or explain it.”
A fifth user added: “I presume that both news items dropped after recording.
Though I thought they would have gone back and redone the opening in light of this pretty major news.”
MAYIM’S ANNOUNCEMENT
Mayim was let go from the game show one week ago, making former champ Ken Jennings the sole host.
The Big Bang Theory alum, 48, dropped the bombshell that she was let go personally on her Instagram.
Her statement read: “As the Holiday break begins in Hollywood, I have some Jeopardy! news.
“Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!.”
She continued: “I am incredibly honored to have been nominated for a primetime Emmy for hosting this year and am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been part of the Jeopardy! family.
She heavily implied leaving was not her decision, but did not explain her exit.
Mayim has since removed “co-host @jeopardy” from her Instagram bio.
JEOPARDY’S STATEMENT
An hour after her statement, the official Jeopardy! account confirmed the news, offering a brief explanation.
Their statement read: “Mayim Bialik has announced she will no longer be hosting the syndicated [or nightly] version of Jeopardy!.
“We have made the decision to have one host for the syndicated show next season to maintain continuity for our viewers.
“And Ken Jennings will be the sole host for syndicated Jeopardy!.”
“We are truly grateful for all of Mayim’s contributions to Jeopardy!, and we hope to work with her in the future on primetime specials.”
In 2021, (and after a slew of guest hosts with disgraced EP Mike Richards naming himself host), Mayim and Ken were tapped to host the game show through the calendar year.
The following summer, Mayim and Ken were made the permanent hosts.
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DECISION AXE-PLAINED
While Jeopardy! is yet to give further details on the huge shakeup, which disappointed some fans, there have been reports about the fallout this week.
Jeopardy!’s monumental Season 40 premiered in September, which saw Ken host alone despite the pair supposed to share the role formerly held by Alex Trebek.
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.
Ken has handled all episodes since, including all episodes of Celebrity Jeopardy! that Mayim has hosted alone in the past.
Sources have claimed Mayim’s monthlong hiatus while still under contract was a reason behind her firing.
A report from Puck News claimed: “Bialik’s actions during the strike were at least a contributing factor, according to three sources close to the show.”
The report went on to reveal that the executive producers were “furious” when she walked out.
The report also highlights two additional factors influencing the decision.
First, Bialik’s reception on set was less than favorable, and second, Sony had adjusted shooting schedules last season to accommodate her since-canceled Fox sitcom Call Me Kat.
With Hollywood’s strikes in the rearview, Jeopardy!’s parent company allegedly planned to let her go at the start of Season 41.
“Sony recently informed her that her services won’t be needed next season.
“She was offered the chance to stay on for the rest of this season, but she said no thanks,” the report claimed.
Mayim was also offered to still host primetime specials, as in Celebrity Jeopardy!.
However, according to TMZ, Mayim allegedly pushed back, insisting on an “all or nothing” approach.
In essence, she didn’t want to be confined to only hosting Celebrity Jeopardy! and not the nightly show.
But Sony said no, and in response: “Mayim released her statement Friday without consulting Sony.”
At this point, it would seem unlikely she will return to the show in any capacity.
It’s also no secret that Mayim faced backlash across the board for her hosting chops from fans compared to the 74-time-champ-turned-presenter.
There were criticisms of Mayim’s “pauses” before ruling on questions, and a producer also shared they asked her to change her behavior while hosting.
The actress even confessed to getting insults in person: “Sometimes I get ‘We don’t prefer you to Ken,'” she shared on her Bialik Breakdown podcast.
According to Puck News, the Big Bang Theory alum was pulling in an annual salary of $4 million.
Puck News also noted that Ken is also making $4 million a year, although that number is expected to increase now.
The late Alex Trebek reportedly made $10M a year as host.
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