The Jeopardy! quiz show will have only one host again, as Mayim Bialik announced that she is leaving that position after over two years.
Sony Pictures Television, the owner of the Jeopardy! show, informed The Big Bang Theory actress that she will be no longer hosting the syndicated version of the show, leaving co-host Ken Jennings to host alone in season 40.
“As the holiday break begins in Hollywood, I have some Jeopardy! news,” Ms. Bialik wrote on Instagram.
“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.”
Sony in a statement noted Ms. Bialik was the one who announced her departure.
“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!” Sony said. “We are truly grateful for all of Mayim’s contributions to Jeopardy!, and we hope to continue to work with her on primetime specials.”
Ms. Bialik and Mr. Jennings had split hosting duties on “Jeopardy!,” but Ms. Bialik was the solo host for season 1 of “Celebrity Jeopardy!” In May, Ms. Bialik declared her support for the Hollywood writers’ strike and declined to appear on the game show.
Following long-time host Alex Trebek’s death in 2020, the game had numerous celebrity hosts for two years. In 2021, Mr. Jennings and Ms. Bialik were announced as permanent hosts, with both of them being past winners of the game, according to Today.
During a show’s podcast, Ms. Bialik and Mr. Jennings discussed their difficulties in hosting the show.
“I think people don’t realize how many things you’re calculating because you want to move things along. You also want to give things their fair weight. Also, there’s someone in your ear and there’s many opportunities for, ‘Oh, my gosh, that was the wrong thing to say.’ And there’s a lot of going back. There’s a lot of editing,” Ms. Bialik said.
She added that having a doctorate in neuroscience makes things more difficult, because people expect more. “‘She’s got a Ph.D. She shouldn’t make simple math errors’. But sometimes I do it and it’s very stressful,” she said.
Ms. Bialik was a child actress who rose to fame in the 1990s NBC show Blossom, in which she was the protagonist. She is also known for her role in The Big Bang Theory series, from 2010 to 2019.
