After over one year of being a permanent host on Jeopardy!, Mayim Bialik, 48, said her official goodbye to the game show on December 15. The TV personality took to social media to share a statement with her millions of followers to announce the somber news. “As the holiday break begins in Hollywood, I have some Jeopardy! news,” she penned in the post. “Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!”
The actress, who co-hosted the show alongside Ken Jennings, expressed her gratitude for her time on the fan-favorite series. “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,” Mayim continued. Finally, she thanked various groups of people for being a part of her Jeopardy! journey. “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 penned.
After Mayim shared the news, many of her fans took to social media to react. “So it wasn’t mayim’s decision? that’s… interesting. gonna read more about this,” one admirer tweeted. Another fan added, “Mayim Bialik is a gem—compassionate, talented, and smart as can be. Sony was lucky to have had her host Jeopardy—a performance for which she received an Emmy nomination. I, for one, cannot wait to see what she does next.”
Mayim’s exit comes as a surprise to many, as her contract with Sony was not over, per PEOPLE. The actress first joined the show when legendary host, Alex Trebek, died in 2020. In 2021, it was announced that she would co-host the show with Ken. Mayim is a longtime fan of Jeopardy! and told ET in March 2022 that would love to be a permanent host. “I would love that,” she said at the time. “I like to say I’ve lived season-to-season since I was about 13 years old.” In July 2022, she and Ken signed on as permanent hosts set to alternate based on availability.
Following Alex’s death three years ago, many famous faces stepped into host temporarily. Some of the other hosts during that period included journalist Katie Couric, talk show host Dr. Mehmet Oz, NFL star Aaron Rodgers, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, and many others. Now that Mayim’s time on the game show has come to an end, many of her fans can catch her on the podcast, Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown, a series about mental health.
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