Mayim Bialik Shocked By Response To Jeopardy Host Drama

Mayim Bialik opens up about her surprise for fans’ passionate responses to the drama surrounding the permanent hosting gig on Jeopardy!. Over the past few months, the long-running quiz series has struggled under numerous controversies as Sony Pictures Television desperately searches for a full-time host following the death of Emmy winner Alex Trebek in 2020 from stage IV pancreatic cancer. The troubles first began when executive producer Mike Richards, who had final say on the roster of guest hosts that appeared earlier this year and last, was initially announced as the permanent host while Bialik would host primetime specials on ABC and future spin-offs.

Just nine days after his hiring, Richards would step down from the Jeopardy! hosting position due to controversial comments resurfacing from a now-deleted podcast, though was initially set to remain on as EP and Bialik brought on as temporary host. Richards would ultimately be fired altogether from both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune by SPTV, a decision he is currently preparing to go to battle over in court. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Bialik and former champion Ken Jennings would trade off hosting every few weeks for the remainder of the season while the search continued, with the Big Bang Theory alum currently high on the studio’s list of frontrunners for the full-time job.

With just over a week under her belt as temporary host of the quiz show, Bialik recently spoke with James Corden on The Late Late Show about her time on Jeopardy!. In looking at the drama surrounding the search for a permanent host for the series, Bialik expressed her surprise at fans’ passion for who takes over the series and responds to those attempting to criticize comments made in regards to her personal life. See what Bialik had to say below:

“I was the headline on CNN three days in a row. Who knew people were so passionate about who hosts Jeopardy!? I mean, I’m just trying to read the clues. You know, just let me read the clues. The thing about Jeopardy!, we spend our whole lives wanting to be seen, you know, and this job is like — people should think the least about me as possible. Meaning, it’s my job to be the host, just like read the clues. It’s incredibly enjoyable. I learn things all day. I meet people who have a kind of knowledge that I do not possess. I would do horrible on Jeopardy!. Horrible.”

While the fan response to Richards’ firing was certainly a justified one given his offensive comments, the drama surrounding the permanent Jeopardy! hosting position has been rather surprising with the volume of those responding. The series has remained strong in its ratings over the years, though the guest hosts have seen the show dip to disappointing numbers for the network, namely with fan-favorite LeVar Burton, who only drew in an average Nielsen rating of 4.4, the lowest of all the guests. Though these numbers could generally be chalked up to older audiences that have tuned in for decades, social media trends and petitions have pointed to a larger number of younger viewers leading the outcries of those passed up for the full-time job and those being considered.

While Burton has since passed on taking the Jeopardy! hosting position, Bialik continues to prove to be the prime candidate for both producers and fans of the series. She has remained resilient in her desire to deliver viewers the entertaining competition they’ve come to expect for years, avoid discussing the discourse of Richards’ outing and expressing her appreciation and love for the job over her past works. Only time will tell if she and Sony will be able to work out a deal to set her as the official full-time host.

Source: The Late Late Show

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Grant Hermanns
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Grant Hermanns is a News Writer, Interviewer and Hiring Manager for Screen Rant, having joined the team in early 2021. Way back in 2015 while still in his college days, Grant got his start in the entertainment journalism industry with creator-friendly site Moviepilot until it shuttered nearly three years later. From there he joined the staff at ComingSoon.net and was its Associate Editor prior to coming over to Screen Rant.

To say he’s a lover of film and television would be an understatement and when he’s not mass consuming either you can find him exploring the world of Dungeons & Dragons with friends or slowly making his way through his gaming backlog.

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