Jeopardy!’s Ken Jennings ‘understands’ why Mayim Bialik was fired because ‘there’s a reason shows don’t have two hosts’

KEN Jennings has stood by Jeopardy!’s decision to fire Mayim Bialik in a bombshell interview on Friday.

The Big Bang Theory actress was abruptly let go from Jeopardy! in December, making the former champion the sole host.

Ken Jennings spoke at length about Mayim Bialik's Jeopardy!'s dismissal for the first time
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Ken Jennings spoke at length about Mayim Bialik’s Jeopardy!’s dismissal for the first timeCredit: 2023 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.

He said, 'I really enjoyed Mayim’s hosting' but 'there's a reason why TV shows don't tend to have two hosts'
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He said, ‘I really enjoyed Mayim’s hosting’ but ‘there’s a reason why TV shows don’t tend to have two hosts’Credit: Getty
Ken, 49, has finally spoken at length about the huge shakeup in a new interview with USA Today.

Ken was asked about showrunner Michael Davies recently saying he was “forced” into having two hosts and that the G.O.A.T contestant “really won the job.”

Ken told the outlet, “I saw that, and I think he was right.”

“He [Michael Davies] talked about how Jeopardy! is a symbol of consistency and reliability for a lot of our viewers.

“It’s part of the ritual of their day, and they want to tune in and know what they’re going to see and not wonder, ‘Oh, which host do I see tonight?’

“And I do understand that,” the host continued.

‘TV SHOWS DON’T HAVE TWO HOSTS’

Ken added, “I’m not blowing smoke here. I really enjoyed Mayim’s hosting.

“You could tell she was just a born performer, very confident on stage in a way that I was not at first.

“I learned a lot from watching her, and I really enjoyed her hosting. But I do understand – there’s a reason why TV shows don’t tend to have two hosts.”

He also said the dual-host model was a “non-intuitive way to set up the ritual of peoples’ day” and also said that since Mayim’s departure, they haven’t spoken.

Ken was also asked about the idea of diversifying the game show with other hosts for specials in the future.

“Agree 100%. I love that I get to host Jeopardy! and it’s my dream job, but we have seen straight, middle-aged white guys host Jeopardy! for decades.

“It’s kind of been done, and I do feel like some of the criticism that Mayim got was clearly misogynistic.

“It was people who were not there to see a woman host Jeopardy! and whether they understood that about their soul or not, they were not ready to accept a woman in that position of authority.”

Ken’s interview comes on the day of the 2024 Tournament of Champions premiere, with an unprecedented playing field of 27 contestants starting Friday, February 23.

“We know there have been a lot of tournaments. We are sympathetic with tournament overload, but this is one we’re really excited about,” Ken concluded.

This is only the second time Ken has spoken about Mayim’s departure, and the first time he’s done so at length.

He earlier told The Hollywood Reporter he was caught off guard by the news and is going to “miss her.”

BYE-ALIK

On December 15, 2023, Mayim broke the Internet when she announced that she was fired from Jeopardy! personally on Instagram.

“As the Holiday break begins in Hollywood, I have some Jeopardy! news,” she began her post.

“Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!

“I am incredibly honored to have been nominated for a primetime Emmy for hosting this year and am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been part of the Jeopardy! family.

“For all of you who have supported me through this journey and to the fans, contestants, writers, staff of America’s favorite quiz show, thank you.”

JEOPARDY!’S STATEMENT

About an hour later, the official Jeopardy! Instagram page confirmed the news.

“We have made the decision to have one host for the syndicated show next season to maintain continuity for our viewers,” the statement said.

They went on to say that Ken, 49, will be the sole host of the show.

“We are truly grateful for all of Mayim’s contributions to Jeopardy!, and we hope to work with her in the future on primetime specials,” the game show wrote.

Mayim has since removed “co-host @jeopardy” from her Instagram bio.

Mayim Bialik's statement that sent shockwaves across the internet In December
Mayim Bialik’s statement that sent shockwaves across the internet In December

Jeopardy!'s statement about Mayim's firing which came an hour later
Jeopardy!’s statement about Mayim’s firing which came an hour later

MAYIM UNLIKELY TO EVER RETURN

Ken and Mayim were named co-hosts by Davies in the summer of 2022 before Season 39.

Jeopardy! didn’t further address her exit after the bombshell news, but other reports have revealed what went wrong for the star.

Sources have claimed Mayim’s monthslong hiatus while still under her $4 million annual contract was a major reason behind her firing.

The actress hadn’t been on set since last May, nor for any part of the ongoing Season 40.

She walked out with the Writers Guild of America when they went on strike.

As the actress’ absence dragged on through the summer, questions began to swirl around her future with the franchise.

The speculation grew in August when Jeopardy! released an official new poster celebrating the show’s prior season that featured Ken but not Mayim.

Then, Jeopardy! dropped a poster of Ken front and center for Celebrity Jeopardy!, previously hosted by Mayim as her distance grew.

Sources earlier claimed that Mayim’s refusal to work during the strike didn’t upset the bosses – instead, it prompted them to rethink their dual host system, ultimately leading to her departure.

“The bosses weren’t mad when Mayim refused to work during this year’s strike,” sources told TMZ.

Instead, they claimed that her hiatus “opened executives’ eyes about their dual host system, and that’s why they moved on.”

“Mayim stepping away gave Ken an opportunity, and he took it and ran with it, improving his hosting skills while she was away,” they said.

Sources also said that Sony planned to let Mayim go at the start of the next season.

“Sony recently informed her that her services won’t be needed next season.

“She was offered the chance to stay on for the rest of this season, but she said no thanks,” the report claimed.

They wanted to keep the door open for her, and offered a position in the future on Celebrity Jeopardy! but she pushed back.

It was claimed that she demanded an all-or-nothing approach, not wanting to be confined to only Celebrity Jeopardy!

When Sony said no to her pushback, she refused to participate further, instead dropping her announcement “without consulting” the show.

At this point, it’s unlikely that a scorned Mayim will return to the franchise in any fashion.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER’S STATEMENT

Earlier in February, showrunner Davies spoke about the decision for the first time on the “Unscripted Storytellers” panel at the 2024 Television Critics Association’s winter press tour.

“When I took over the show, we were really forced into that situation from everything that happened before, the guest-hosting period,” Davies said on Saturday.

“Over the past two and a half seasons, what we’ve heard from a lot of from television stations and other interested parties is that they wanted more consistency. They wanted a single host.”

The game show rotated in multiple guest hosts following iconic host Alex Trebek’s died at the age of 80 in 2020 after battling pancreatic cancer before finally settling on Ken and Mayim.

Bialik has since removed 'co-host' from her Instagram bio and it's unlikely she'll return since she didn't want to be relegated to only spinoffs
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Bialik has since removed ‘co-host’ from her Instagram bio and it’s unlikely she’ll return since she didn’t want to be relegated to only spinoffsCredit: Getty