Jeopardy! Just Got One Step Closer to Bringing Back Mayim Bialik
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Could Mayim Bialik return to Jeopardy! as host? Never say never, according to the actor, as the show left the door open for a possible return and she’s open to doing it again.
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After legendary host Alex Trebek’s death in 2020, a number of guest hosts, including Bialik, took turns filling in. Mike Richards briefly hosted in August 2021 but was quickly fired. Bialik and Ken Jennings were then named the permanent rotating hosts of Jeopardy!, with the actress also hosting Celebrity Jeopardy!
Bialik, who was nominated for an Emmy in 2023 for hosting Jeopardy!, was fired from the show in December 2023 and Jennings took on the full-time hosting role.
She explained in an Instagram post at the time: “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!’ 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.”
More: How Much Ken Jennings Makes on Jeopardy! Will Surprise You
Jeopardy! executive producer Michael Davies told reporters at the Television Critics Association winter 2024 press tour that fans wanted one host for the show. “Over the past two and a half seasons, what we’ve heard from a lot of television stations and other interested parties is that they wanted more consistency,” Davies explained. “They wanted a single host. Mayim is a superb host. We hope to continue working with her on prime-time versions. This conversation is ongoing.”
Is Mayim Bialik coming back to Jeopardy!?
In a September 10 interview with Fox News Digital, Bialik said there’s a possibility she could return to the game show. “I’m definitely still a fan of the show and very honored that I was nominated for an Emmy for my work there,” The Big Bang Theory actress shared. “That is something that I got to change my bio, that I was nominated for Jeopardy. So, yeah, it’s something I’m still very proud of. And yeah, we’ll see what happens this season.”
The hosting job provided the actress with a mix of what she loved. “I was always learning new things being there, and also I still got to be a presentational performer,” she said. “So it really felt like it combined a lot of my favorite aspects of being a science communicator, which is what I was trained to do in college and grad school.”
In a Reddit discussion about Bialik possibly returning to Jeopardy!, fans had plenty to say.
Some were critical of her hosting style, pointing to the pacing as their biggest complaint. “I’ve no issue with her in general, but her pacing was my biggest frustration,” one fan wrote. “The pause after someone answered a question and she’d say ‘that’s correct’ were way too long for a game show that’s timed. Ken Jennings pacing is perfect. There is no need to have two hosts.”
Others were neutral. “I didn’t hate her doing it, but I also never really understood why people liked her. She did okay, but no better than several of the other guest hosts. I don’t know, I guess I just don’t understand what people see in her. She’s fine, but nothing special.”
Most agreed that Bialik performed better on the celebrity version. “I wouldn’t mind seeing Mayim come back. Obviously I’d prefer one host and Ken is better for the job but I feel Mayim did better in Celebrity Jeopardy than Ken did,” one person noted. “I loved season 1 of that show so much more because it felt like Mayim was having fun with the celebrities whereas in season 2 Ken just did his regular hosting role while the celebs tried to put on a show.”
Jeopardy! airs Mondays to Fridays at 7 p.m. on ABC.
For more on primetime shows, check out our photo gallery on the best nighttime soaps ranked.