Mayim Bialik Reacts to ‘Jeopardy!’ Drama in New Interview

Mayim Bialik is trying to stay as far removed from the Jeopardy! hosting drama as possible. The actress will be splitting hosting duties on the game show with Ken Jennings through the end of the year after Jeopardy!‘s own former executive producer Mike Richards exited the host role amid scandal, but Bialik is keeping her eyes on the prize — or the clues, that is. 

During Tuesday’s The Late Late Show With James Corden, the Big Bang Theory alum shared what it’s been like experiencing the game show’s hosting drama first-hand. Jeopardy! has been on the hunt for a permanent new host since Alex Trebek’s death in November 2020, bringing on a score of guest hosts throughout the year as part of its search. During her initial two-week stint on the show, Bialik quickly became a fan favorite.

“I was the headline on CNN three days in a row,” Bialik said. “Who knew people were so passionate about who hosts Jeopardy!?” Richards was named permanent host in August, but just a week after the announcement stepped down after offensive comments from a previous podcast resurfaced. Days later, he was removed as executive producer of both Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, and Bialik and Jennings were named interim hosts.

Bialik told Corden she simply wants to host, not insert herself into the story. “I mean, I’m just trying to read the clues. You know, just let me read the clues,” she said. “The thing about Jeopardy!, we spend our whole lives wanting to be seen, you know, and this job is like — people should think the least about me as possible. Meaning, it’s my job to be the host, just like read the clues.” Most of all, Bialik called hosting the show “incredibly enjoyable,” gushing, “I learn things all day. I meet people who have a kind of knowledge that I do not possess. I would do horrible on Jeopardy! Horrible.”

Bialik’s second hosting stint comes as Matt Amodio continues his impressive 30-game win streak, which solidified him Tuesday as the third most successful Jeopardy! contestant in regular play, putting him within striking distance of James Holzhauer’s 32 win streak. During an interview with The Washington Post, Amodio said he benefitted from the hosting drama for drawing attention away from his streak. “I’m an introverted person; I’ve never experienced even moderate amounts of attention, much less this much attention,” he told the paper. “I’m actually kind of surprised I’ve enjoyed it.”