Is losing Mayim Bialik a pro or con?
On Friday, December 15, the Big Bang Theory alum announced she would be leaving Jeopardy! after becoming co-host alongside Ken Jennings following the death of beloved host Alex Trebek in 2020.
“As 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 on Instagram.
“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,” she added.
Shortly after the 48-year-old’s post, the official Jeopardy! Instagram account also released a statement.
"Mayim Bialik has announced she will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of ‘Jeopardy!'," the upload said. "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," they concluded.
Following the news, fans took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their opinions on Bialik’s exit and were largely divided on the subject.
“Good. She was terrible,” one person wrote, while a second hater added, “I'm sure she's a nice person, but as Jeopardy! host...I'm sorry, it was just painful to watch. Extremely awkward w/ contestants, the long delays before saying ‘correct’ or a flat out ‘no’ drove me nuts. Ken Jennings is just a better host, person for the job. Just my opinion.”
“Sorry when anyone loses a gig but I won’t miss her. She came off as either sanctimonious or condescending. Just keep Ken. He has all the qualities for a great host,” a third user noted.
“I really liked her, that's to bad. I thought she was better than Ken even though I do like him. Just my opinion,” a supporter penned, while another said, “So sad. I liked her far better than KEN JENNINGS.”
“She was good,” another added, as a seventh raved, “Mayim was an outstanding host on Jeopardy. Bring her back.”
As OK! previously reported, Bialik and Jennings took over hosting Jeopardy! after Trebek passed from stage four pancreatic cancer.
On the three year anniversary of his death in November, Trebek’s wife, Jean, and daughter Emily shared a sweet video in collaboration with the organization Stand Up To Cancer, as they payed tribute to the Canadian-American game show host.
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"If he wasn't at work, he would be home in a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, a baseball hat. He was a very normal, very normal guy," Emily said of her father.
Jean added: "He loved fixing things around the house. He was very passionate just about being engaged in the everyday workings of life."
