Mayim Bialik Shares Being Removed as ‘Jeopardy!’ Host
Mayim Bialik, known for co-hosting 'Jeopardy!' alongside Ken Jennings, announces her departure from the show in 2024 Stay tuned for the latest updates on this exciting development
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Mayim Bialik revealed she has been let go as host from Jeopardy!.
Hollywood's holiday season has started, and I have some Jeopardy! news," Bialik, 48, shared via Instagram on Friday, December 15th. "Sony has let me know that I will not be continuing as the host of the syndicated version of Jeopardy!" Bialik expressed deep gratitude for being part of the Jeopardy! family and being nominated for a 2023 Primetime Emmy Award earlier this year.
"Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this incredible journey, as well as to the fans, contestants, writers, staff, and crew of America's Favorite Quiz Show," she wrote in her post.
Sony confirmed the news to Entertainment Weekly on Friday but also mentioned the possibility of Bialik returning for primetime specials.
The decision has been made to have one host for the syndicated show next season in order to maintain continuity for our viewers, and Ken Jennings will be the sole host for syndicated Jeopardy!," a spokesperson informed the outlet. "We are sincerely grateful for all of Mayim's contributions to Jeopardy!, and we hope to continue working with her on primetime specials."
Bialik temporarily became a host of the long-standing NBC series in September 2021 alongside Jennings, 49, following the death of former host Alex Trebek. (Trebek, who started hosting the show in 1984, passed away in November 2020 at the age of 80 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.)
Bialik and Jennings alternated as hosts over the next year before officially taking on the role full-time in summer 2022. The game show had spent nearly two years looking for the right host, with celebrities like LeVar Burton, Aaron Rodgers, Katie Couric, and Anderson Cooper serving as guest hosts. Initially, former Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards was set to become the permanent host, but he stepped down in August 2021 due to controversial remarks that resurfaced.
Bialik encountered criticism as the host of Jeopardy!, being unfairly labeled as an “anti-vaxxer” and “anti-feminist” for her outspoken views. The actress expressed her hurt in a September 2021 interview with Glamour, stating that these labels were untrue. Additionally, some Jeopardy! viewers were displeased with Bialik’s hosting style in March 2022, particularly when she referred to the opening round of the show as “Single Jeopardy,” a term occasionally used by Trebek himself.
"I did it once. If it wasn't right, they would have made me redo it," she told Yahoo Entertainment. "I hardly ever act alone. I promise. There are so many things that we re-tape. We go back, I mess up. You're seeing an edited version. So, it's funny. When I saw that, I thought, 'But if it really was not acceptable, there are a million producers, writers, and researchers.' They're all listening to me."
Bialik also stated that she understands "people care a lot" about the long-running series and expressed that she was "sorry" for the mistake.
“I’m doing my best!” she explained. “I will never do it again! Even if it’s in this script, I will not say it.”
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Despite the struggles, Bialik gushed over the positives of being part of such an iconic program.
"It's truly a joy for me to meet all the contestants and hear their stories," she shared with Yahoo. "Among them are academics, housewives, and teachers - a diverse group of individuals with unique perspectives that we can all learn from."
