Mayim Bialik Slammed By Jeopardy! Fans, Is She Permanently Replacing Ken Jennings?
Mayim Bialik took over hosting Jeopardy from Ken Jennings and already fans are upset, worried that she might take over permanently if he doesn't renew his contract.
Long-time fans of America’s most-celebrated game show have provided the show’s creators with the answer: Bring back Ken Jennings. The question is “How will fans respond to Mayim Bialik taking over as the host of Jeopardy?” The Sun did a fantastic job cataloguing the fan response which was overwhelmingly negative following previous reports of past contestants slamming The Big Bang Theory star.
Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings were announced as the co-hosts of Jeopardy following Alex Trebek’s passing in 2020 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Jennings is the greatest champion in the history of the show with a 74-game win streak and $2.5 million in total winnings. Bialik is a neuroscientist with a PhD from UCLA, the former star of Blossom and current star of Call me Kat.
While there is no doubt that Mayim Bialik is highly intelligent that does not always translate to the audience at home seeking a sense of connection with the host. Following the start of Bialik hosting the Jeopardy High School Reunion tournament, fans responded on social media by saying “I’ve changed my DVR settings until Ken is back–hope it’s not long!” This isn’t the first time that the show has made a controversial hosting change, nor is it her first time behind the podium, but what’s different now is just how long she’ll be the face of the show.
When the producers settled on Mayim Bialik and Jennings as the two hosts of Jeopardy, it was with the understanding that duties would be traded off throughout the year between the two. Jennings just finished his stint as host and has handed the baton to Bialik for the first time on the main show and not just the Celebrity Jeopardy spin-off. One of the social media comments from a fan is a warning to critics of the new host: “Buckle up… she’s going to host through the rest of the season…”
Working around her Call Me Kat shooting schedule caused some last-minute adjustments to the Jeopardy shooting schedule. Now that the schedules have aligned, fans of the show and those that want to avoid Bialik can expect her to be hosting throughout the end of the Spring. Ken Jennings won’t be far from the main show as he’s hosting the Jeopardy Masters spin-off.
Though Mayim Bialik’s detractors, which appear to outnumber her supporters on Jeopardy’s social media accounts, will have to ignore the main show, the latest spin-off might give them their fix of the venerable game show. Jennings has been receiving praise lately for his improved hosting and in particular his ability to create a connection with the players at the start of each game. In comparison, Bialik has received complaints for her tempo while reading questions and a tendency to become overly enthusiastic when contestants get an answer correct.
Two years after Alex Trebek’s passing and the Mayim Bialik/Ken Jennings compromise for Jeopardy host duties is encountering its first real test. So far, the fans are leaving in droves and reacting very negatively on social media. Unfortunately, Jennings contract is up later this year, and if he doesn’t renew for a few more years, Bialik will be the sole host.
If the worst comes to pass and Ken Jennings decides to leave Mayim Bialik as the sole Jeopardy host, there’s no telling how low ratings might fall. Would they reach the point where Aaron Rodgers or Peyton Manning get a phone call is the big question.
