Alex Trebek was the face of Jeopardy! and likely always will be with 37 seasons under his belt.
But after Alex passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2020, the search for a new co-host was on, and it wasn’t without difficulty.
As a result, for the new season of Jeopardy! there will be two hosts, Mayim Bialik from The Big Bang Theory and Ken Jennings, one of the top winners in the show’s history.
The Big Bang Theory alum Mayim Bialik stars on Call Me Kat, so her hosting schedule will work around her primetime show.
Executive producer Michael Davies announced the news on the Jeopardy! website this week.
As of now, it appears that Ken will host more because he doesn’t have any other gigs as a former Jeopardy! contestant and not a working actor like Mayim.
Jeopardy! announces Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings as hosts
Michael Davies wrote: “I write today with the exciting news that we have closed and signed deals with Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings to be the hosts of Jeopardy! moving forward.”
The statement continued, “In Mayim and Ken, we have two outstanding hosts at the beginning of their Jeopardy! hosting careers who connect with their own unique fanbases, new fans, and the traditional Jeopardy! viewer.”
Michael Davies commended the professionalism and talent of Mayim and Ken. He continued. “Mayim and Ken are both extraordinarily talented and simply lovely humans. They support the staff and each other. They love and respect this institution of a television program. In return, the staff and I are honored to work alongside them.”
The statement said, “The current plan is to have her host a couple of new tournaments as well as the Jeopardy! National College Championship and as many weeks as she can manage with her other primetime commitment to ‘Call Me Kat.'”
Finally, the EP acknowledged Jeopardy! fans input and finished, “We know you value consistency, so we will not flip-flop the hosts constantly and will keep you informed about the hosting schedule.”
Finding a new host for Jeopardy! was difficult for producers
And although LeVar Burton was the fan favorite, Jeopardy! executives had other ideas.
Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards became the temporary host, much to the surprise of fans. But insensitive past posts by the former EP came to light, ending his tenure as host and executive producer.
Mayim and Ken were not without fault, as many found Ken to be smug, and he had problematic past tweets.
Others were unhappy with Mayim’s decision to wait to vaccinate her children, as outlined in her book, Beyond the Sling.
Hopefully, the decision will please Jeopardy! viewers, many of whom felt split between the two co-hosts.