‘Jeopardy’ Boss Explains Why Mayim Bialik Was Ousted As Host: “Ken Really Won The Job”

Mayim Bialik‘s sudden departure last December from her hosting gig at Jeopardy took most people by surprise, Bialik included. In the time since the announcement, there has been a lot of speculation as to why she was cut from the show, with some reports speculating that Bialik’s time away from the show during the WGA strike contributed to her being let go.

But in an appearance at the Television Critics Association winter press tour, Jeopardy’s executive producer Michael Davies explained that, though he was a fan of Bialik’s, it was a desire for “consistency” that led to the decision to drop her from the show.

Davies began his tenure at the show in 2021 after former EP Mike Richards was named as — and then quickly removed — the new host of the show. “When I took over the show, we were forced into that [multi-host] situation, because of everything that had happened before with the guest-hosting period,” Davies told reporters this past weekend, per Yahoo Entertainment. “Mayim was left hosting the primetime versions, and I brought in Ken to guest-host because Mayim had her Fox sitcom [Call Me Kat].”

He added, “But over the past two and a half seasons, what we’ve heard a lot from our television stations and other interested parties is they were looking for more consistency, they wanted a single host. Mayim is a superb host — we hope to keep working with her on primetime versions and other spinoffs, those conversations are ongoing– but Ken really won the job.”

When Bialik announced her departure on Instagram on December 15, Sony’s immediate response was similar to Davies’ statement. They wrote that the decision was an effort to “maintain continuity for our viewers.”

Despite that desire for continuity, the show did use former champion Buzzy Cohen to host the season 39 Champions Wildcard competition in January.

Jeopardy! airs weeknights at 7/6c. Check out the website for your local listings.