Mayim Bialik Kicks off ‘Jeopardy!’ by Thanking the Very Special Person Who Encouraged Her to Host

Mayim Bialik is currently in the middle of her two-week stint as a guest host on Jeopardy!, and The Big Bang Theory star began Monday’s episode by thanking the person who inspired her to pursue the job. “As I start my second week of guest-hosting Jeopardy!, I want to thank my 15-year-old, Miles,” Bialik told, the audience at the top of the show.

She added, “He was the one who first suggested I give this a try and I hope I am making him and his little brother, Frederick, proud.” Bialik also credited Miles last month in an interview on Jeopardy!‘s YouTube channel, sharing that he was the one who found out about the opening in the first place. “My older son is the one who originally said, ‘Did you know they’re looking for Jeopardy! hosts? I saw on the internet that maybe you should find out,’” she said.

“He was really, really proud,” she continued. “He’s very, very excited. He, at his age, knows the impact of this show. My 12-year-old is a little less enthralled in general with me being in the industry, but I think he knows it’s a very iconic thing. And mostly he’ll criticize what I look like because that’s what 12-year-olds do.”

Bialik, who also has a Ph. D in neuroscience, is the second woman to host Jeopardy! following previous guest host Katie Couric. Other guest hosts so far have included Anderson Cooper, Dr. Mehmet Oz, 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards and former Jeopardy! contestants Ken Jennings and Buzzy Cohen. Upcoming stars include Savannah Guthrie, Robin Roberts, LeVar Burton, Sanjay Gupta, George Stephanopoulos, David Faber and Joe Buck.

“It is an incredible honor to guest host Jeopardy!” Bialik told viewers during her first episode. “I was raised in a very creative and academic family, but it wasn’t until high school that I fell in love with science, and that love led me to a Ph.D. in neuroscience. I so appreciate that Jeopardy! is a show that tests all aspects of intellect and allows the brightest minds to shine.”

When she was announced as a guest host, the actress reacted in true Jeopardy! fashion, writing, “I’ll take #DreamComeTrue for $500 please.” She also praised last host Alex Trebek, whose replacement will be named this summer. “From watching my whole life… to being an answer on the show… to guest hosting… this is literally a dream come true for me,” Bialik shared. “I’ve been such a fan of Jeopardy! and Alex Trebek since I can remember. It will be an honor to guest host this iconic show and celebrate his great legacy.”