Ken Jennings Says Mayim Bialik’s Sudden Departure From ‘Jeopardy!’ Took Him ‘Off Guard’

Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings is opening up about his former co-host's departure from the game show.

When the trivia show's longtime host Alex Trebek died in 2020, Jennings was the first to take over, and he was joined by former Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik to split their hosting duties shortly afterwards. However, on Dec. 15, Bialik announced that she would not be returning to host the syndicated show or its primetime specials.

Jennings now says her departure came as a surprise.

"It took me off guard, because I loved working with my Mayim and I'm gonna miss her. I can't speak to her decision-making process or her opinions about it," Jennings told the Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Tuesday. "But on my end, I'm just a fan of Jeopardy! and I'm always delighted to host when they call upon me. I just feel extremely lucky to have even been considered for this job as a non-broadcaster."

Jennings also shared that it was "weird" to come back as a host after being known as a contestant on the series for so long, but he's been doing his best to learn "as I go."

"But I loved growing up with Jeopardy! where Alex was the host of that show for almost 38 years, and people just kind of felt like he was part of their family, and it's impossible to fill those shoes," he added. "But it's such an honor and hopefully I look forward to 37 more years of doing it, when I'll be a very, very old man."

Bialik first announced her departure from the show on her Instagram account, writing, "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," Bialik wrote. "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."

Jennings also opened up about the differences between hosting traditional Jeopardy! and Celebrity Jeopardy!, ahead of Utkarsh Ambudkar (Ghosts), Mira Sorvino (Shining Veil) and Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary) competing for the Celebrity semifinal on Jan. 2.

"We had tap dancing at one point, that rarely happens at the syndicated show, but Dulé Hill showed off a little soft shoe, which was amazing," Jennings said, referencing the Psych star's dance moves from his last appearance on Celebrity.

"It's really what I love about Celebrity Jeopardy!, which is that even if people love regular Jeopardy! for its reliability, and its stability, this is a version of Jeopardy! where anything can happen, and that's kind of fun to take this format that you've seen every night for 40 years and kind of tweak it, and the contestants are looser, they're having a little more fun," Jennings said.

"The difference of course, is that they're very comfortable on camera. Some of them too comfortable, sometimes I have to be the mean substitute teacher who's like, 'Hey, like, stop talking over there, we need to play Jeopardy!.'"

Jennings also shared that he feels one of his biggest duties as host it to make first-time contestants feels comfortable.

"I don't think the home viewer really understands how terrified the contestants sometimes are on that show," he told the outlet. "I mean, I've realized that a big part of my job as host is to try to be the contestant whisperer and just tell them 'you know what, I know you're stressed; I know this is weird to be on TV for the first time doing this intense thing; I know it's your favorite show and the stakes are high; I remember all these feelings, but you know, just try to let go of that and try to enjoy every moment of this and you're gonna play better.'

"That's a big part of Jeopardy! as you're watching," he added. "You're watching three laypeople, three non-performers perform. And with celebrity you really do kind of have the joy of, what if somebody can play the game and tell jokes or have fun at the same time."

For Jennings, the unpredictable nature of Jeopardy! is what makes it so fun.

"I find that as a host, it's a little more like being a war correspondent where you really have to be prepared for anything to happen," he said. "You can't have a game plan because if somebody's riffing or somebody doesn't understand the rules, you're just gonna have to roll with it and try to keep the game moving. And luckily, the game kind of does push itself forward and the celebrities catch the vibe of that, but it makes it very fun and unpredictable for me as well."