Mayim Bialik Reportedly Wanted to Return for 'Jeopardy!' Spinoff

Mayim Bialik was fired from 'Jeopardy!' in December 2023.

By Megan Behnke

Before Colin Jost was announced as host of Pop Culture Jeopardy!, Mayim Bialik reportedly wanted to take a swing at things. Via an article in the Aug. 5, 2024 print edition of the National Enquirer, Bialik, who was previously the host of Jeopardy! and Celebrity Jeopardy! before getting fired in 2023, was said to be eyeing the franchise's newest spinoff for a potential new hosting job.

A TV industry insider shared, "Producers are still searching for a host for Pop Culture Jeopardy!, and Mayim has let it be known she's interested in the job." After the Big Bang Theory alum was dropped, Ken Jennings took over hosting duties permanently full-time as the two were sharing the load. Even though she was let go from Jeopardy!, she allegedly "didn't burn any bridges," according to the insider. "She really enjoys hosting a game show, not to mention the money that goes with it. Mayim has a doctorate degree in neuroscience, so she might be better suited for regular Jeopardy! But she was also a pop culture star on TV's biggest sitcom. So she has a case!"

Related:

ABC's "Jeopardy! National College Championship" 2022
(Photo:

JEOPARDY! NATIONAL COLLEGE CHAMPIONSHIP – "Jeopardy! National College Championship," hosted by Mayim Bialik, debuts TUESDAY, FEB. 8 on ABC. Produced by Sony Pictures Television, "Jeopardy! National College Championship" is a multiconsecutive-night event that features 36 students from 36 colleges and universities from across the country, battling head-to-head for nine days of intense competition. (Casey Durkin/ABC via Getty Images) MAYIM BIALIK

- Casey Durkin / Getty Images)

Unfortunately, Bialik did not end up getting the job, whether or not she actually wanted it. It was recently revealed that Saturday Night Live's Colin Jost has been tapped to host Pop Culture Jeopardy!, which will be the first series in the franchise available exclusively on streaming. Bialik could always return to hosting Jeopardy! in the future as a guest host or once again co-host alongside Ken Jennings. It's also very possible that Pop Culture Jeopardy! will not be the last Jeopardy! spinoff, so you never know what could happen.

Pop Culture Jeopardy! was initially ordered by Prime Video in May and will see a different format for the long-running franchise. Rather than three individuals competing, the show will have teams of three showing off their pop culture knowledge. Categories will be quite literally anything in the realm of pop culture, ranging from alternative rock to the Avengers, Broadway to MMA, and Gen Z to Zendaya. As of now, a premiere date for Pop Culture Jeopardy! has not been announced, but it will certainly be interesting to see how Colin Jost does in this new role.

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