'Jeopardy!' contestant says competing on game show was overwhelming
Erin Buker recently earned the second-lowest winnings of any contestant in the history of "Jeopardy!" something she called an "out-of-body experience."
Don’t expect Mayim Bialik to be bothered by naysayers.
"I didn’t read the comments, which I think is good advice in general," the former game show host told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview when asked if she read fan comments from her "Jeopardy" hosting days. "And I think, essentially, that's all I can say about it. I didn't read the comments and that's kind of an old practice of mine to try and maintain sanity. And also, I have a lot of respect for the ‘Jeopardy’ fans because it's a real legacy. It's a real legacy fandom, so it's super important."
After longtime host Alex Trebek’s passing in 2020, Bialik was one of the many guest hosts to take her shot at hosting in 2021. After Mike Richards’ abrupt exit, she was named a permanent host, splitting duties with Ken Jennings, who ultimately took over after she announced she was fired in December 2023.
MAYIM BIALIK EXPLORES SHAMANS AND HEALERS IN QUEST FOR LONG, HEALTHY LIFE
Mayim Bialik shared she didn't read the comments after announcing she was let go from her "Jeopardy!" hosting duties. (Jai Lennard)
"As the holiday break begins in Hollywood, I have some ‘Jeopardy!’ News," Bialik shared in an Instagram 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 I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the ‘Jeopardy!’ family. For all of you who have supported me through this incredible journey and to the fans, contestants, writers, staff and crew of America’s Favorite Quiz Show, thank you."
Sony later put out a statement confirming the news.
The show’s executive producer, Michael Davies, told reporters at the Television Critics Association winter 2024 press tour in February that the change happened because viewers wanted to see one host rather than two.
"I didn't read the comments and that's kind of an old practice of mine to try and maintain sanity. And also, I have a lot of respect for the ‘Jeopardy’ fans because it's a real legacy. It's a real legacy fandom, so it's super important."
"Over the past two and a half seasons, what we’ve heard from a lot of television stations and other interested parties is that they wanted more consistency," Davies said. "They wanted a single host.
But he also teased at the time that the door was open for Bialik’s return.
"Jeopardy!" Executive Producer Michael Davies previously teased that Bialik could return in the future. (Getty Images)
"Mayim is a superb host. "We hope to continue working with her on prime-time versions. This conversation is ongoing."
For Bialik, the feeling is quite mutual.
"I'm definitely still a fan of the show and very honored that I was nominated for an Emmy for my work there," Bialik said. "That is something that I got to change my bio, that I was nominated for Jeopardy. So, yeah, it's something I'm still very proud of. And yeah, we'll see what happens this season."
Mayim Bialik says she's "still a fan" of "Jeopardy!" and is "honored that I was nominated for an Emmy for my work there." (Jai Lennard/Tyler Golden/ABC via Getty Images)
Despite moving on to other projects, the "Mayim Bialik Breakdown" podcast host still credits the game show for being one of the best jobs she’s ever had.
"I was a grad student, and I was out of the industry for 12 years after ‘Blossom’ before I started working on ‘Big Bang Theory,’" Bialik added. "And I really loved academia and I also really loved performing, and I think ‘Jeopardy’ was the closest that I felt to sort of being at kind of a grad school mixer because the writers and the researchers are so incredibly intelligent, kind of thirsty for knowledge, always trying to learn new things."
Bialik compared hosting "Jeopardy!" to being at a grad school mixer. (Casey Durkin/ABC via Getty Images)
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"I was always learning new things being there, and also I still got to be a presentational performer. So it really felt like it combined a lot of my favorite aspects of being a science communicator, which is what I was trained to do in college and grad school."
Although the door is mutually open for a return, the mom of two is exploring new projects at the moment, like her latest documentary "Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory," which is out now in limited theatrical release and on VOD.
"It literally came to us as this documentary has been made by this guy, Justin Superstar, and they literally said, 'We're looking to get this more noticed and bringing someone on.' I'm also a lactation educator counselor, so they said bringing someone on who can speak to this and especially his parents [who] are very, very sweet, very quiet, and they knew I was a scientist, they knew that I'm a person of faith, and those things were important to his family as they thought about ways to get it more noticed."
"So, I was really grateful to be added to this project so that we can honestly just educate more people about it. It's such a fascinating – I mean, it's a fascinating story. It's a rom-com. It's a strange little rom-com that involves a nipple factory in this guy's sister's bedroom. But it's a really, really sweet story and, in particular, it's a love story about what the husband of this family devises. If you give him a problem, he'll solve it. In this case, he wanted to express support for his wife in a way that really didn't exist in the industry."
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Bialik is "grateful" to have worked on the documentary "Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory." (Jai Lennard)
