Last year, Sony announced that both actress Mayim Bialik and trivia legend Ken Jennings would be the new co-hosts of “Jeopardy!” following the death of late host Alex Trebek in November 2020.
However, on Friday night, “The Big Bang Theory” alum announced that she was no longer going to be the host of the long-running trivia game show.
Mayim Bialik Leaves Ken Jennings As The Solo Host Of ‘Jeopardy!’
On Friday night, the host of season 1 of “Celebrity Jeopardy!” announced that she was out as the host of “Jeopardy!” Since Ken Jennings hosted season 2, which is currently airing, it seems doubtful that she will return to host the spin-off show either.
“As the holiday break begins in Hollywood, I have some Jeopardy! news, she wrote in the caption of a brief Instagram post. “Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!”
“I am incredibly honored to have been nominated for a primetime Emmy for hosting this year and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the Jeopardy! family,” she continued. “For all of you who have supported me through this incredible journey and to the fans, contestants, writers. staff and crew of America’s Favorite Quiz Show, thank you.”
Comments on the post were disabled. The “Jeopardy!” social media account took to Instagram a short while later to make their own statement about her departure.
“Mayim Bialik has announced she will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!” they wrote in a brief Instagram statement. “We 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 continue to work with her on primetime specials.”
Fans Call Her Departure The ‘Right Move’ For The Show
Shortly after Mayim posted her statement to Instagram, “Jeopardy!” fans took to multiple social media platforms, including Reddit, to voice their opinions.
“I wasn’t the evangelical Anti-Mayim type that some people are, but that being said, I am glad for this news. Mayim was adequate, but she never quite seemed comfortable onstage hosting,” wrote user spmahn. “Everyone has their individual quirks that might annoy people, but Mayim seemingly had a bunch of them. Most of all though, this will bring stability and consistency to a show that has needed it badly since Alex’s passing. Ken is deserving of the job, and I’m glad it is his now.”
“I was never a hater, but good. Ken has been far and away the best choice from day 1. This is the right move for the show,” another user agreed, while a third fan added, “It’s so crazy to me that it took as long as it did for the Sony peeps to figure out he was the one meant to do it.”
“This is undoubtedly good news. This wasn’t the job for her, and Ken was always the heir apparent. Ken’s style meshes, and his knowledge is second to maybe James, and no other. He’s got the personality, the authority, the skill, and the passion,” wrote user Juunlar. “It shouldn’t have been any other way.”
Mayim Bialik Explains Why She Will Never Compete On ‘Jeopardy!’
In an interview with Bill Maher on his podcast Club Random, the “Call Me Kar” star said that she “would cry” if she ever had to compete on “Jeopardy!” even though she had been hosting it for over two years. “There’s a rhythm that winners get into – there’s a huge psychological component,” Mayim said earlier this year. “If you get something wrong, it can be debilitating. I would cry, I think.”
The “Blossom” child star also explained that she does not participate in the writers’ room when the questions are being created. “People ask if I know all that stuff, and I’m like, ‘no.’ No,” she said. “Answering things like that under pressure with a timer is not gonna happen for me. It’s hard!”
She went on to say that “Jeopardy!” players who perform well on the show usually have general knowledge in a wide variety of areas, whereas her expertise is more specialized. “The knowledge I have is not necessarily Jeopardy knowledge. I’m trained in science, and I am a crossword puzzle person,” she continued. She explained that her familiarity with certain subjects like “Hebrew and Jewish studies” would allow her to do well in those areas, but suggested that “18th-century British poets” as an example of a topic that she would struggle with.
So, even though she is no longer the host, it seems like she is not eager to compete on “Celebrity Jeopardy!” and see what the experience is like on the other side of the podium.