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Is Mayim Bialik Leaving ‘Jeopardy’? Why She Walked Off the Show’s Set Ahead of Final Taping
It appears another Jeopardy! hosting switch-up is on the horizon. Mayim Bialik walked off the set of the trivia series during the final week of taping season 39, according to Deadline. Ken Jennings, who was initially not slated to appear in the final episodes of the current season, will take her place as host for the remaining episodes. Scroll below for more details on her decision and whether she is permanently leaving the show.
Why Did Mayim Bialik Walk Off the ‘Jeopardy!’ Set?
Mayim walked off the Jeopardy! set to stand in solidarity with the writers who are leading the Writers Guild of America strike, the outlet reported. Following her exit from the production on Thursday, May 11, Ken was chosen as her replacement to film the remaining episodes. He hosted most of the first half of the season before what was supposed to be his final episode on April 28.
Per multiple outlets, filming for the last few episodes of season 39 will commence on May 16 and end on May 19 at Sony Pictures lot in Culver City, California. Michele Loud, one of the show’s writers, previously spoke out about standing on the picket line with fellow writers Jim Rhine and Billy Wisse.
“Our words are on the screen every night,” she told Variety on May 6. “There is no Jeopardy! without writers. Without us, it’s just an empty blue screen.”
Is Mayim Bialik Leaving ‘Jeopardy!’ Permanently?
The Call Me Kat actress and the game show personality have been officially splitting hosting duties on Jeopardy! and its spinoffs since July 2022. Prior to the formal announcement, Mayim and Ken were both guest hosts throughout the franchise after the death of host Alex Trebek in November 2020.
Mayim has not made any official announcement about leaving Jeopardy! permanently. She has spoken out in the past about some of the things she was most shocked by when she signed on to host the game show.
“We do five episodes in a day, and I’m given the clues to prepare the day of filming,” the Blossom alum told The Wall Street Journal in November 2022. “So, I have to review all those clues, practice pronunciations, look things up that I don’t know and honestly try to get as much rest as I can the night before because they are long days, and I’m on my feet and talking all day.”
