Mayim Bialik Stepped Away From the 'Jeopardy!' Podium — Is She Leaving the Show?

It’s no secret that Jeopardy! viewers were surprised by former champion Ken Jennings and actor and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik taking turns with hosting duties for the show. The move was first met with some backlash from avid viewers. After all, the late Alex Trebek never shared the host title with other people. Thankfully, things have been smooth-sailing so far.

Unfortunately, there's no such thing as pleasing everyone. Since Mayim has been sharing the reins with Ken, many viewers have been pretty hard on her. From opinions about her verbiage on the show to some viewers simply not being too fond of her, the backlash has been relentless and has prompted many to begin questioning whether Mayim would leave the show.

While she managed to navigate the criticism quite nicely, Mayim has stepped away from the Jeopardy! podium. Here's why.

For folks who think Mayim will be bidding Jeopardy! adieu, think again! Truthfully, hosting the game show has been a dream come true for the star. In a March 13, 2022, interview with Entertainment Tonight, Mayim shared that would love to become the full-time host of the show.

"I would love that," Mayim said. "I like to say I've lived season to season since I was about 13 years old. So what I know is what I'm doing until May 6, and beyond that, hopefully I'll know more before May 6."

In case you’ve been out of the loop, both Mayim and Ken have split their hosting duties due to their schedules. This will continue through the end of Season 39 (and possibly beyond). Also, Mayim shared that she received a blessing from Alex’s family.

"I got to meet them when we dedicated the stage and just felt so humbled around them," Mayim said. "I want to only honor, and you can't match him, so there's no need to try, but we really do continuously kind of want their blessing, that they feel what we're doing is supporting that legacy."

Mayim shared that being able to possibly fulfill the role as the first female host would be "mind-blowing."

Although Mayim hasn't indicated she wants to leave Jeopardy!, she did step away from the infamous podium at the end of July 2023, leaving Ken responsible for hosting the last episode of Season 39. According to USA Today, Mayim is standing with the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the union that began striking over labor disputes back in May 2023.

Although Mayim left just as Jeopardy! Season 39 wrapped up, Season 40 could be delayed over the lack of a co-host and the fact that the show's writers are members of the WGA. While we don't think Mayim has given up her role indefinitely, she didn't appear on the final episode of Season 39.

A promotional statement from ABC advertised "new season, new host" which implies that Mayim isn't coming back to the show.