If you thought (like I did) that we were finished with Jeopardy host shenanigans, then you (and I) were mistaken. Mayim Bialik had one week left of filming Jeopardy’s 39th season when the writers strike began in May. Since Jeopardy had WGA members, Mayim decided to show solidarity and did not film that final week. Ken Jennings, her alternating co-host, stepped in to finish Season 39. Some argued that it was not a direct scab since the material had been written before the strike was called. Mayim hasn’t been back to host since. So this weekend’s official announcement feels like late confirmation of what’s already been in effect for half a year: Mayim Bialik will not be back, Ken Jennings will handle all hosting duties on his own.
Mayim Bialik’s run on “Jeopardy!” has come to an end.
The “Big Bang Theory” actor, who was announced as the permanent co-host of the quiz show alongside former champion Ken Jennings last summer, shared the news Friday in an Instagram post.
“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!” Bialik wrote in her statement.
She added, “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. 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.”
Jennings has been hosting Season 40 of the syndicated show solo since it premiered in September.
“Mayim Bialik has announced she will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!” a spokesperson for the show shared in a statement to USA TODAY on Friday. “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,” the statement concludes.
Bialik hosted the first season of “Celebrity Jeopardy!” which premiered last year. In August, it was announced that Jennings would be stepping in for her amid the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes; Bialik is a member of SAG-AFTRA, whose strike ended in November.
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Bialik.
Bialik stepped away from the game show podium this summer in solidarity with striking Hollywood writers, according to a report from industry outlet Deadline.
At the time, “Jeopardy!” had one week of taping left in Season 39 that was meant to be hosted by Bialik, but Jennings crossed the picket line to finish the series’ production before the summer hiatus, according to a person familiar with the plans who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Skipped over in that reporting is the bit where fans petitioned for LeVar Burton to take over hosting after Trebek passed, Jeopardy instead conducted months of guest hosts to audition for the next one, then ended up naming head of the new-host committee and executive producer Mike Richards as host, only for Mike to be forced out of the job before he’d barely begun over his (public) record of being a dick. I’ll say this for Wheel of Fortune, whatever you feel about Ryan Seacrest (and all feelings are valid), they clearly wanted to keep their transition swift after watching Jeopardy make a mess of things. The line they’ve settled on about “continuity” for the audience is particularly funny, given that Jeopardy is the one who foisted two hosts upon us. Mayim was named alongside Mike Richards in his brief 2021 tenure, and then they replaced him with Ken Jennings while still keeping Mayim. Although I never understood the need for two hosts, I wasn’t exactly suffering from confusion over it either.
Now that Ken is officially taking command of all duties, he can expect a special package coming his way. From my mother. Here’s the backstory: my wonderful father passed away this summer. He left behind many treasured collections, one being an impressive array of silk ties. They are gorgeous. As my mother and I have been going through them, we’ve been setting aside ones we want to keep for ourselves, and ones to give to other family and friends. Then my mother pipes up, “Oh, and please let me know which ones you think Ken will like.” I was like, who? And she went on, “Ken Jennings. On Jeopardy. He needs some of these to spice up his tie collection.” I’ll take overstepping for $600, please! For what it’s worth, Ken, my mother was a Jeopardy contestant herself in the 80s.
Photos credit: Getty, Faye’s Vision/Cover Images and via Instagram
Good. She’s awful.
☝
Stiff as a board. I never appreciated her hosting.
He is also awful. I find his voice and everything about him so grating. I’ve been staying with my Dad as he recovers from chemo and it’s a nightly watch for him. My Dad, in his late 80s and probably a target demographic for someone like Jennings, really, really dislikes him as well. he finds him both boring and full of himself and thinks his voice is whiny.
They could have had LaVar Burton and instead they got stuck with a giant man-baby.
I mean she is awful as a person. I stopped watching the show when Trebek passed away.
I actually liked it when they had different hosts and some of the money went to various causes. I guess, “continuity” isn’t a high priority for me. LeVar would have been better than Ken or Mayim.
Agree, LeVar would have been my choice too.
I think it the right choice to move on from her as a host
Once Mayim settled in I really liked her. I think much of it is people don’t like her politics and views plus a good dose of misogyny.
I cannot stand Ken Jennings…I think he’s a major curse word and something about him gives me big creeper vibes. He is one of those people that I wouldn’t be surprised if I ever found out he’d been arrested for some long hidden deviant behavior. Of course that could be because he is the twin image of someone I knew years ago who had been arrested for such behavior.
His is creepy. But it wasn’t her politics so much as she is incredibly narrow-minded, had crappy things to say about other women, and touted some really awful parenting “advice” under the pseudo-science guise. I don’t know how she votes but I know she is not someone I would want to spend a single second with. She’s dripping in condescension.
This!!!☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️
Well she loves to drop a healthy dose of misogyny on other women when the whim takes her so…she is awful. And so is he. They should have chosen Levar Burton. I haven’t watched the show since Trebek passed away.
ToI really soured on her after the NYTs give her space to spew some pretty insensitive stuff about sexual assault victims during the height of the #metoo movement. She literally blamed the victims for not dressing as fugly as she.
As for Ken, the guy posted an really sexist, hurtful tweet about a wheelchair disabled person.
I think Jeopardy felt stuck after the loud-mouth, shameless self-promoting executive they chose, was exposed as a racist, sexist, anti-Semite. They probably just came to the conclusion that whatever Ken and Maya maybe, they aren’t as bad as this guy.
@Dave- I guess you don’t know about her gross misogyny via the comments she made about sexual assault. Let me enlighten you, it was along the lines of :If you don’t dress like an elderly Hasidic woman, you’re asking for sexual assault. I liked her just fine until she decided to share her “views” and showed herself to be a dumpster fire of a person.
I wish they could have picked LeVar but his audition week was terrible. He even admits it, he was so nervous/wanted it so bad he was stiff and unnatural.
She slut shamed women. He’s a scab (and I’m guessing pretty red state). I would have actually watched if Levar Burton hosted, but I haven’t set my watch to jeopardy in 20 years and don’t plan to start now.
This. Not to mention other really problematic things she has said over the years. Both of them are terrible.
I’m begging folks to do just a tiny bit of research on someone before jumping into the comments for baseless smearing. Ken Jennings is not “red state”. He’s from Seattle and maintains a home there, and has made his liberal politics clear on many occasions. I’ve met him several times and followed his personal blog, social media and podcast for years. He’s a genuinely nice, funny, down to earth person. Mormon, sure, but a normal Mormon, and has made it clear that he supports LGBTQIA+.
i feel like his crappy tweet about someone in a wheelchair speaks for itself. it screams red state no matter where he is from.
Ken wasn’t a scab and Mayim could have continued hosting because the position was not a part of the SAG group on strike. Mayim was talking time off because she was also part of the WGA. Also she has big bang theory money and could afford to not get paid.
People can dislike Ken for other reasons, but he was not a scab because he wasn’t a part of any group on strike.
@Tippet – I said I was guessing. I literally haven’t watched the show since he was a contestant (unrelated to him. Just coincidence). A Google search isn’t research, but you’re right I could have done that much. I don’t see much that’s definitive. He grew up overseas and went to BYU. Pretty neutral. which is good for a talk show host. I take it back. I don’t “guess” he’s red state any more. I appreciate the heads up.
@Nic – To me, crossing a pickup line to work makes one a scab if doing so undermines the cause of the striking union, which is how I read the implication here.
Recently in the last year, I got my dad hooked on jeopardy. It’s just funny that he never did before bc he genuinely enjoys yelling out the answers. So he’s only watched Jennings as a host and seems to really like him. He saw a rerun with Trebek who had such a different style and was so dry, less quippy than Jennings. My dad was taken aback at how different it felt. My vibe is Trebek but since he wasn’t used to it, it was a surprise compared to Jennings.
She was terrible in this job and honestly I don’t think Jennings is much better. I also thought Levar Burton (though I love him) was a bad fit as well.
The Jeopardy producers should find someone who at this point is a no-name but has the right personality for the gig.
What they need to do is cancel the show. Work on finding a new host. And then bring it back in two or three years. Because they kept it on the air people are always going to compare anyone to Trebek.
I’m sure she’ll end up on some other game show in the future.
Kismet, I loved your story about your dad’s ties. I’m sorry for your loss. Your mom sounds amazing, and she’s right – Ken needs to step up his tie game! There’s an absolutely adorable set of weekend news anchors in Nashville. He always, always coordinates his ties with her outfit. They have great chemistry, but the tie coordination is a great reminder of their team spirit.
Yes Kismet! That is such a sweet story! Congratulations to your mom for being a contestant. Sorry for your loss.
This is my favorite part! I love that your Mom set aside ties for KJ, and I am so sorry for your loss
“…Aaaaaaaand we’re going with the White guy!”
Condolences on your father’s death, Kismet. May his memory be a blessing.
That is so dang cute about your Mom and the ties, I cannot even. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m so sorry to hear of the loss of your beautiful Dad, Kismet. Hugging you w my heart, sending loving support your way. My dad is still alive but I know I will be a mess when he moves on. The way we love our folks matters a lot to our hearts. Wishing you and your mom + beyond a holiday filled with love, may you all be comforted by your most treasured memories. 💕
Sounds like she got fired for supporting the union, which sucks. On the other hand, Ken is a better host and it’s not his fault. I hope he loves the ties!
Yes, she was awful with that cloying babysitter humor and yes stiff as a board, good one!
I love that your mom is sending ties!
As much as I love Burton, he was worse than Mayim as far as hosting.
Agreed. We were all rooting for him, but it wasn’t the right fit.
I’m really happy about this. Though an avid Jeopardy fan my whole life, I stopped watching throughout the rotating host shenanigans, and hoped to get back to it when they settled on a host, but I simply could never stomach the idea of her in the role. For starters, she’s terrible at it. She’s stiff, awkward, patronizing, and nowhere near as funny or clever as she thinks. She’s an anti-science “scientist” that is anti-vax, and shills garbage “brain” supplements. She’s a misogynist slut-shamer who blames women for being assaulted. She’s raising her sons in a religion that treats women like second class citizens. I have NEVER understood how she was allowed anywhere near a show that’s supposed to be about knowledge and learning.
Levar Burton would have been a dream come true. When it comes down to it, though, even though I hate that they hired a white dude, and he’s not perfect, at the very least, Ken Jennings is credible as a host, and I feel like he earned it much more than some of the other contenders. I can live with it.
I agree, but I did hate that Ken crossed the picket line. In addition to what you wrote, Mayim drove me crazy with her habit of adding a little pause between a contestant’s answer & Mayim saying “That is correct.” I think she was trying to add suspense or something (did they get it right? did they get it wrong?) but it was super annoying.
I’m very pro labor, but I gave Ken a pass on hosting during the strike. He’s not an actor and he’s not a writer. He wasn’t striking and he wasn’t stepping into someone else’s duties. At worst, it was a grey area.
My family and I love Jeopardy and have watched it for years and years. We loved Alex Trebek as host, and those were huge shoes to fill.
I didn’t mind the revolving door of guest hosts so much. Of the temp ones, my favorites were Savannah Guthrie and Dr Sanjay Gupta. Plus a few more, but I cannot remember who at the moment. Watched Levar Burton’s episodes. He struggled visibly. It wasn’t a good fit at all.
I can appreciate the need for continuity, and appointing 2 hosts was just weird. Especially since I didn’t like Mayim as guest host, even without knowing about her politics.
I don’t mind Ken Jennings as much as most people, and agree with earlier commenter that he has earmed it, being 1 of the sho’w’s most successful past winners. So am ok with him being the permanent one.
“Mayim was named alongside Mike Richards in his brief 2021 tenure, and then they replaced him with Ken Jennings while still keeping Mayim. Although I never understood the need for two hosts, I wasn’t exactly suffering from confusion over it either.”
My guess is:
1. Mayim has a really good manager/PR.
2. Since the fix was in from the start ( Richards hosting), they had to pretend they’re not racist for rejecting a black man. To appear “inclusive” they add a female co-host.
3. Ken is only familiar to Jeopardy audiences. Mayim is a famous actor from a No. 1 TV show.
Many years ago I watched her on “What Not To Wear”. My impression was she needed to learn to love herself more & built her self confidence. This must be a blow to her. Wishes her the best moving forward in life.
P.S. Having read through all the threads above mine, I have no idea she is such a awful person. (I did not follow her or watched any TV series w her in it.)
So — she even put on a persona while went on “WNTW”? Sheesh! She really needs a “Come To Juses” & learn what a decent human being means.
I saw that episode, I thought she was pretty snotty to Clinton & Stacy.
Jeopardy is a daily staple in our house. Ken is a better host, period. I always wonder what his Q score is because he has stepped into that role so seamlessly.
Mayim is not stupid by any means, but she is far less knowledgeable on a wide range of topics than Ken (and you can tell), and her biased anti vax stance REALLY irritates me. I don’t relate to people who take bold anti-science opinions, but I can at least understand it when it’s ignorance. How she has been trained in phD level scientific assessment and still managed to walk away from that with an anti vax opinion is beyond me, especially since she thinks the COVID vaccine is okay..
I really soured on her after the NYTs give her space to spew some pretty insensitive stuff about sexual assault victims during the height of #metoo movement. She literally blamed the victims for not dressing as fugly as she. I was surprised that this episode appeared not to impact Jeopardy’s decision to hire her.
As for Ken, the guy posted a really sexist, hurtful tweet about a wheelchair bound disabled person. But he got the job anyway.
I think Jeopardy felt stuck after the loud-mouth, shameless self-promoting executive they chose, was exposed as a racist, sexist, anti-Semite. They probably just came to the conclusion that whatever Ken and Maya maybe, they aren’t as bad as this guy.
My family really got into Jeopardy over the pandemic before Alex Trebek passed away. I didn’t love Mayim as a Jeopardy host so I’m not going to miss her. I always thought Ken Jennings was the natural successor and it was clear he would be the frontrunner whenever Alex Trebek retired or passed away. You can’t say he hasn’t earned it. I found the trial period unnecessary though I understand why they did it, if solely for appearance. Maybe they were hoping to find a female or POC presenter (still sad Levar Burton wasn’t given a fair chance, I would have been okay with him too). But I’m happy with Ken taking the reins for the time being.
Alex Trebek recommended Laura Coates as a possible new host. I hope the producers took Alex’s opinions into consideration when they were looking for a new host. I think Laura would’ve been great!
Ken was always the natural successor to Alex, and Mayim was always an unwelcome interloper. And also a terrible host of the game. Ken has a rapport with the contestants, keeps up the pace of the game, and he always sounds like he knew the answer, and whether or not it’s true, with his place in Jeopardy history, it feels like like it’s true. Mayim is awkward with contestants, a charisma void, and screws up the flow of the game because it was obvious she was waiting to hear in her earpiece what the correct answer was because she didn’t know herself. That is entirely failing at being a good Jeopardy host. Also, “Single Jeopardy”.
good riddance, and the less said about her revolting politics, the better.
I would prefer they rotate host for awhile. Im glad mayim is gone but i didnt like her for the same reason i dont like ken. Too self-serving. It feels like ken and a few of the producers have decided Jeopardy is their show. Jeopardy was never a nerd show. They should go back to regular people who know a lot. Trebec gradually became famous because people thought he was funny or a mannequin. Ken is just demanding the same treatment.