‘Jeopardy!’ Viewers Weigh in on Mayim Bialik’s Hosting Debut

Mayim Bialik was the latest star to guest host Jeopardy!, beginning her tenure on Monday night, and fans were quick to weigh in on her debut. The Big Bang Theory star is the most recent in a long lineup of guest hosts who have been helming the show after the death of original host Alex Trebek and is the second woman to host the game show, following previous guest host Katie Couric.

“It is an incredible honor to guest host Jeopardy!” Bialik told viewers after being introduced at the top of the show. “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 PhD in neuroscience. I so appreciate that Jeopardy! is a show that tests all aspects of intellect and allows the brightest minds to shine.” Scroll through to see what fans had to say about her debut.

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One viewer tweeted that Bialik was “bringing lovely big sister energy as Jeopardy! guest host” and was “already a highlight.” “Oh, I definitely like Mayim Bialik as a Jeopardy! host,” shared another. Another fan pointed out that “Mayim Bialik being great as a Jeopardy! host should surprise pretty much no one.”

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“Awww! I love Mayim Bialik as the host of #Jeopardy,” shared another viewer. “Of course she’d be great. She’s sweet, personable & very smart.” Someone else wrote that “So far of all the Jeopardy! guest hosts, I think Mayim Bialik is my favorite,” and a third admitted that they “didn’t expect this, but Mayim Bialik might be my favorite @Jeopardy guest host so far…”

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Several people shared that they think Bialik should be the show’s next permanent host. “Just give @missmayim the job already,” one viewer tweeted. “She’s a natural.” Another added, “Give her the permanent gig now, please. By far my favorite guest host so far…and we’re only five minutes in!” Someone else wrote, “Mayim Bialik is terrific on Jeopardy. She has my vote for permanent host.”

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“I lost my mind, and really am still losing my mind,” Bialik told USA Today of getting the chance to guest host. “This is one of the most iconic things that I can be part of in my life. Of all the things I’ve done, of all the acting I’ve done, of all the advocacy I’ve done, and all my academic things, this is the most globally understood, absolutely incredible thing to be part of. It’s unbelievable.”

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The actress, who also has a Ph. D in neuroscience, will serve as guest host for two weeks until June 11, which amounts to 10 episodes. She taped her episodes over two days and shared that she was “terrified” when she stepped on set. “It’s not like you can even try to fill Alex’s shoes,” she explained. “Everybody kind of holds his energy present on that stage. You still feel him there, and I think I really just wanted to discreetly and humbly take that podium.”

“Every episode moves so quickly, and your job as host is not to mess up, meaning not to read the clue and then re-read it if you stumble,” she continued. “It’s a very specific and well-oiled machine. I was nervous the whole time, but it was nervous excitement, and once I kind of got into a rhythm it felt more natural, and I felt like I was able to ad-lib a little bit more.”

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Along with Bialik and Couric, 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.

Richards told The Wall Street Journal‘s The Journal podcast that the show hopes to name Trebek’s permanent replacement by the time the show’s 38th season begins filming this summer.