Mayim Bialik Out at Jeopardy!: ‘Sony Has Informed Me That I Will No Longer Be Hosting’

Michael Ausiello
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The mystery surrounding Mayim Bialik’s Jeopardy! future has at long last been solved: She’s not returning.

“As the holiday break begins in Hollywood, I have some Jeopardy! news,” Bialik shared on Instagram late Friday. “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.”

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Hours after Bialik shared the news, Sony released the following statement: “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.”

Bialik has been MIA from her $4 million-a-year Jeopardy! gig since last May, when she abruptly bowed out of Season 39’s final weeks in a public display of solidarity with the show’s striking writers, leading Jennings to step in and close out the season.

As the Big Bang Theory vet’s absence dragged on through the summer, questions began to swirl around her future with the franchise. The speculation intensified on Aug. 18 when Jeopardy! released via its official social handles a new poster celebrating the syndicated show’s 39th season that featured Jennings but not Bialik. At the time, Sony declined to comment on the decision to exclude Bialik from the now-deleted artwork. Days later, ABC announced Jennings as the new primary host of primetime offshoot Celebrity Jeopardy!, replacing Bialik.

It was in Summer 2022 that Bialik was officially installed as co-host of Jeopardy!‘s syndicated version alongside Jennings. The pair’s ascension came after a chaotic year that saw the duo temporarily filling the void left by the late Alex Trebek’s original, short-lived successor, Mike Richards. The duo were expected to continue sharing emcee duties for both the current 40th season as well as the franchise’s myriad ABC primetime iterations.

As executive producer/showrunner Michael Davies noted last spring, the unprecedented arrangement was working, even as fans continued to fiercely debate who was the superior host.

“When Ken is hosting and Mayim is hosting, there’s zero difference [in the ratings],” Davies told Vulture at the time, adding, “I back both of them. I go to the studio every day and try to make both of them better at hosting the show and make a better program environment around them. They have my full support.”

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