Bialik’s abrupt ‘Jeopardy!’ exit caught Jennings by surprise
Ken Jennings, famously, is a guy who knows a lot.
But he apparently had no inkling his cohost on “Jeopardy!,” Mayim Bialik, was being shown the door.
Earlier this month, Bialik posted a statement on her Instagram page saying that Sony, which produces the show, “has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of ‘Jeopardy!’”
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published this week, Jennings indicated he had no idea a shake-up was in the cards. “It took me offguard, because I loved working with my Mayim and I’m gonna miss her,” he said.
Then he added: “I can’t speak to her decisionmaking process or her opinions about it.”
When Bialik made her announcement, a spokesperson confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that “Jeopardy!” will forge ahead with Jennings working solo.
“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,’” the spokesperson told EW. “We are truly grateful for all of Mayim’s contributions to ‘Jeopardy,’ and we hope to continue to work with her on primetime specials.”
“Jeopardy!” may have an exclamation point in its name, but the hugely popular quiz show was largely a turmoil-free zone of stability for the 37 years that the imperturbable Alex Trebek served as host.
When Trebek died in 2020 after a battle with cancer, the search for his successor became a national story, with guest hosts who included LeVar Burton, Aaron Rodgers, Robin Roberts, Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper, and Jennings, the winningest contestant in the show’s history.
Then, in a major surprise, the show’s executive producer, Mike Richards, was named the permanent host in 2021. But less than two weeks later Richards stepped down as controversy swirled over offensive comments he had made on a podcast years before.
The “Jeopardy!” powers-that-be eventually decided to split the hosting duties between Jennings and Bialik, an actress who was part of the cast of “The Big Bang Theory” and who has a PhD in neuroscience.