Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings Will Continue to Split 'Jeopardy!' Hosting Duties

The question as to who will host Jeopardy! moving forward has finally been answered. Variety reports that Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik will continue to split hosting duties after Sony Pictures Entertainment entered into long-term deals with both of the show's current leads.

It was announced in September 2021 that Bialik and Jennings would host the game show through the calendar year. The news came shortly after after Mike Richards -- the show's former executive producer who was initially named as Alex Trebek's successor after the longtime host died in 2020 -- stepped down as host after apologizing for making sexist comments about women in his past. 

In March, Bialik spoke to ET about what an honor it is to host the program in which she's "lived season to season, since I was about 13 years old."

“I think being a female is its own mark,” she explained. “My grandparents were immigrants to this country, so I think for me, being in two generations -- being a woman and a host in that iconic role blows my mind.” 

Bialik noted that there's no one who could replace Trebek, who hosted the show for 37 seasons from 1984 until his death in 2020. "I got to meet them when we dedicated the stage and just feel so humbled around them,” she said of Trebek's family. “I want to only honor. You can’t match him, so there’s no need to try, but do it continuously, and have their blessing and feel what they are doing is supporting that legacy."

While Bialik loves her current hosting gig, she revealed to ET in May that it also comes with it's own set of challenges. "You know, sometimes I’ll say things and I’ll be like, ‘How did that come out of my mouth and why?' but that’s sort of me in life in general,” she shared.

Jennings, meanwhile, opened up to ET in January 2021 about his hope to host the show for as long as they'll have him.

"Alex did not want Jeopardy! to end, the show's got tens of millions of fans, Jeopardy! needed to call somebody up and I got the letter in the mail and I [will] serve the privilege of Jeopardy! [host] for as long as they need me," Jennings, a former Jeopardy! contestant, said. "I spoke to [Trebek] shortly before he passed actually and he was very confident that I could do it. He just kind of took it for granted and I was like, 'Alex, that is very sweet but you know you are the best at that job,' but I appreciated his trust."

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