Mayim Bialik, who received an Emmy nomination for her work on “Jeopardy!” Following the death of longtime host Alex Trebek, she said Friday that she would not return to the popular game show, leaving Ken Jennings as sole host.
Bialik began hosting “Jeopardy!” on an interim basis in 2021 and permanently last year. She has not appeared on the show or on Celebrity Jeopardy! Offshoots from the last few months. In May, entertainment news site Deadline reported that she had withdrawn from “Jeopardy!” in solidarity with the Hollywood writers strike.
“Sony has informed me that I will no longer host the syndicated version of Jeopardy!” Bialik wrote on social media on Friday, referring to the company that produces the show. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Jeopardy! Family.”
She made no mention of the strike that ended in the fall.
Sony confirmed Bialik's departure in a separate statement, saying only that the decision for Jennings to move on alone was made “to maintain continuity for our viewers.” The company thanked Bialik for her contributions and said it hoped to continue working with her on primetime specials, without elaborating.
The upset at “Jeopardy!” is the latest for a show that struggled to find a replacement for Trebek following his death in November 2020. After a series of celebrity hosts, including LeVar Burton and Mehmet Oz, and a botched takeover plan by executive producer Mike Richards, Bialik was cast as temporary host, sharing duties with Ken Jennings, a former champion.
Bialik, who has a Ph.D. She has a doctorate in neuroscience and is best known for her starring role in the television show The Big Bang Theory. When she stepped in as interim moderator in 2021, she made it clear that she wanted to take on the position permanently.
Some critics questioned its impartiality. Trebek was celebrated for his neutral and impartial demeanor, while Ms. Bialik was outspoken on issues such as vaccines.
But in July 2022, Bialik and Jennings were named permanent co-hosts and both were nominated for an Emmy this year in the Outstanding Game Show Host category.