Actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik is temporarily hosting the game show “Jeopardy!” along with former contestant Ken Jennings. They are not the permanent replacements for long time host Alex Trebek, but they will be hosting the show through the end of 2021.
There has been a lot of drama surrounding the show “Jeopardy!” ever since the game show announced who they had decided to hire as a permanent host – Mike Richards. At the time, Richards was working as executive producer of the show, but he was tapped to take on the hosting job as well. Bialik was also hired, but she would be hosting spin-offs and specials related to the show.
Oh how things have changed! After only one day of filming, Richards stepped down as host and was eventually fired as executive producer. It all had to do with controversy over a podcast he co-hosted several years ago. That’s when Bialik and Jennings were asked to host the show until a permanent host was hired.
What does Bialik think about all of this? We finally know. She wrote an essay for Newsweek in which she explained her perspective about the controversy surrounding Richards and the game show “Jeopardy!” Watch the video below for more details.
In her essay for Newsweek, Bialik wrote, “My first response, when all of this went down, was to say to the Jeopardy! team: ‘How can I help?’ Because I am part of this family.”
Bialik explained that she was “in touch with Richards” because until he was fired, he was her boss. She also explained that she doesn’t “wish ill on him, or anyone.” She also explained that she doesn’t “follow the news aspect of my industry too much.” Instead, she’s focused on the job.
Getting away from the controversy, Bialik switched gears to talk about the fact that she feels “honored” to host “Jeopardy!” She wrote, “I feel very honored to have been given the responsibility and the opportunity to step up into this hosting position. It’s been as dreamy as it was for the two days that I guest hosted.”
Do you think Bialik or Jennings will eventually become a new permanent host of “Jeopardy!”? Does Bialik’s reaction to the drama surrounding “Jeopardy!” surprise you?