Jeopardy! announced via their Instagram page that Mayim Bialik will no longer host the game show after starting out as a temporary host in 2021 and continue to co-host alongside Ken Jennings. The coming season will have a single host “to maintain continuity” for viewers, while primetime specials remain open to Mayim.
The gameshow company thanked the Big Bang Theory star for her contributions and named Ken Jennings as the sole host going forward. “Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of ‘Jeopardy!'” Mayim said in a statement. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been part of the Jeopardy! family.”
Why was Mayim taken off the show?
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Mayim became a permanent Jeopardy! host last year after Mike Richard’s resignation due to resurfaced racist, sexist, and antisemitic comments. Like Mike, Mayim has also been on the wrong side of the public with her opinion on social issues such as birth control, vaccines, and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
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In October, Mayim—who self-identified as a Zionist—posted a reel discussing the unrest with Israeli actor Noa Tishby. Noa said the chaos was “coming for Israel first, and America and the rest of the Western world next.” Mayim also came under fire for reading texts from those impacted by the attacks in Israel and ignoring those under siege in Gaza. “I can’t fathom supporting one group of victims over the other. Citizens of both sides are suffering and dying horrifically,” someone responded to her.
Mayim’s work as host earned her a nomination
Mayim and her former partner turned host, Jennings, received Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Host of a Game Show in 2023’s inaugural edition of the category alongside Pat Sajak, Steve Harvey, and Keke Palmer. “I am incredibly honored to have been nominated for a primetime Emmy for hosting this year,” she added in her announcement, also thanking “fans, contestants, writers, staff and crew of America’s Favorite Quiz Show.”
The award winner will be announced in January 2024 as the ceremony got rescheduled due to the recently concluded WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Speaking of the strike, Mayim refused to host the second season of Celebrity Jeopardy! in solidarity with other actors and writers, leaving Jennings to take up the responsibility throughout the fall.