Reason Jeopardy! star Mayim Bialik faced shocking axe from show as dismissal not ‘mutual’

The reason for Mayim Bialik’s exit from Jeopardy! could be due to her behavior towards the production team and Sony. She co-hosted the show with Ken Jennings from 2021 to 2023

Mayim Bialik was not the perfect fit for Jeopardy! as a host, according to reports.

Before Ken Jennings became the permanent Jeopardy! host, he co-hosted with Mayim Bialik. The original host, Alex Trebek, hosted the trivia show for nearly 37 seasons, setting a Guinness World Record for hosting the most episodes of a single game show, before his death in November 2020. Patrick hosted more than 8,200 Jeopardy! episodes.

Mayim and Ken co-hosted Jeopardy! from 2021 to 2023 until Ken was announced as the permanent host in December 2023. The two alternated as hosts of not only Jeopardy! but also Celebrity Jeopardy!. A source has now claimed that Mayim did not “fit well” to stay as a permanent host.

A Jeopardy! insider told The Sun US that Mayim could have been let go of the show due to her behavior towards the crew.

She allegedly did not ‘fit well’ (
Image:
ABC via Getty Images)

They said: “They were always more comfortable dealing with Mayim’s representatives instead of Mayim herself.” The insider continued: “Mayim’s personality is no-nonsense – she’s not somebody you can win over with a lavish lunch at Soho House or something.”

The source also said that due to other commitments, Mayim would not be around on taping days. She did not make friends with the crew and others at Sony.

They added: “That’s another place where Ken has an edge because he’s spent so many years associated with the show. He has real supporters inside the organization that Mayim simply never did.”

Mayim would not speak much with the production team (
Image:
Jeopardy!)

The Mirror US has approached Mayim Bialik’s representatives for comment. This could come as no surprise to some as Jeopardy! recently erased the last trace of Mayim being on the show. The official Jeopardy! website no longer has a picture of Mayim on its About The Show page. Her biography page was also taken down. Up until last Friday, August 2, the former host still had a presence on the website.

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Mayim was dropped from the show in December 2023 and in February 2024, executive producer Michael Davies revealed the real reason she was fired at a Television Critics Association’s winter 2024 press tour ABC panel about unscripted television. He said that he “heard from television stations and other interested parties that they wanted more consistency” – a single host to be exact.

The Messenger previously reported how the decision for Mayim to go was not “mutual”. A source claimed to the outlet: “Mayim was notified right before the end of the year that she wasn’t coming back.

“She was hoping to come back, but now looking forward to her next chapter at this time.”