Mayim Bialik leaving Jeopardy! officially as co-host; see statement
While it has been rumored and suspected for some time, it is now official: Mayim Bialik is leaving Jeopardy! as co-host.
In a statement on Friday afternoon, the former Blossom and The Big Bang Theory star confirmed the news with the following message on Instagram:
“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.”
The questions surrounding Mayim’s future have been ongoing since the show released a poster for the current season without her inclusion. She had stepped down from hosting earlier this spring in solidarity with the WGA strike, but never saw a return date to the job. Meanwhile, her co-host Ken Jennings took over the duties on Celebrity Jeopardy! for the second season.
Now, what is curious about Mayim’s statement is that she notes that this is for the syndicated version of the show, which does leave open the possibility that she could come back in some capacity for either another celebrity show or another spin-off. We know that she certainly had her fans bout at the same time, there was a lot of back-and-forth between whether she or Jennings was the right person for the job. The two first started to host in tandem over a year ago, and that came after a lengthy and controversial search for a replacement for the late Alex Trebek.
Moving forward, it will be Ken’s solo time to shine, at least on the version of the show you see with ordinary contestants everyday.
What do you think about Mayim Bialik’s departure from Jeopardy! after such a long wait?
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