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Following a disastrous end to the run of Mike Richards as Alex Trebek’s replacement as Jeopardy! host, it appeared that the game show was once again in good hands with co-hosts Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik.
From May 2021 to December 2023, Jennings and Bialik split duties as Jeopardy! host and many fans seemed satisfied with each of them, but not all.
Bialik went missing from the program in May in a show of support for the Writers Guild of America strike. That hiatus then turned permanent, despite Bialik earning a Primetime Emmy nomination, when she announced she had been let go.
It turned out that her absence served to help Jeopardy! producers come to the realization that with the growth shown by contestant turned host Ken Jennings in the role there really was no need to have two hosts anymore.
Now, two weeks after Mayim Bialik’s departure from the show, Ken Jennings has finally spoken out about the move.
“It took me off guard, because I loved working with my Mayim and I’m gonna miss her,” Jennings told The Hollywood Reporter. “I can’t speak to her decision-making process or her opinions about it.
“But on my end, I’m just a fan of Jeopardy! and I’m always delighted to host when they call upon me. I just feel extremely lucky to have even been considered for this job as a non-broadcaster.”
Jennings, as a contestant, holds the record for the longest winning streak on Jeopardy! with 74 consecutive wins. His total winnings on the show amounted to $4,522,700.
“It’s kind of a weird thing to try to bring back an ex-contestant to host, and I’ve obviously been learning as I go,” Jennings continued.
“But I loved growing up with Jeopardy! where Alex was the host of that show for almost 38 years, and people just kind of felt like he was part of their family, and it’s impossible to fill those shoes. But it’s such an honor and and hopefully I look forward to 37 more years of doing it, when I’ll be a very, very old man.”
For what it’s worth, Austin Rogers, a former Jeopardy! contestant who won $445,000 over 13 shows in 2017, believes Ken Jennings was the right choice.
Another former contestant, Amy Schneider, who won 40 consecutive games of Jeopardy! – the second-longest win streak behind Jennings – agrees with Rogers in his assessment of Ken Jennings as the show’s host.