Mayim Bialik could be out of 'Jeopardy!' after Ken Jennings' 'virtue signalling' jibe
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Mayim Bialik is reportedly replaced by Ken Jennings for at least the latest season of ‘Celebrity Jeopardy!’ which is scheduled to premiere on September 27, per the Daily Mail.
The former ‘Big Bang Theory’ star will purportedly not return to the hosting duties until at least 2024.
In May, it was reported by Deadline that the actress-host chose to step back from the hosting duties to show her solidarity with the WGA (Writers Guild of America) strike.
Later, even the SAG-AFTRA joined the strike. Bialik, who is a member of the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) stepped aside from the hosting duties of ‘Celebrity Jeopardy!’ when one week of taping of episodes was left.
Ken Jennings, the other ‘Jeopardy!’ host took the responsibility for the hosting duties in the interim.
When is Mayim Bialik returning to ‘Jeopardy!’?
A source close to Bialik said to The Messenger that "Mayim is choosing to stand with the actors like she did the writers and won't cross the picket lines," adding, "She hopes to return to Jeopardy! as soon as the strike has been resolved."
The insider further stated firmly that Bialik “wasn’t fired”, but her return before the year ends is probably also not on the cards.
They said, "She's choosing to stand with her union, and because of that, she was told it is unlikely she will return for the rest of the year, even if the strike is resolved before then."
John Roderick accused Mayim Bialik of ‘performative solidarity’
Ken Jennings’ co-host from ‘Omnibus’ podcast, John Roderick recently blasted Bialik for her decision to step aside while also defending Jennings’ decision to continue hosting.
Jennings was criticized by a section of fans for being a “scab” and continued to film the episodes of the game show despite the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike.
Roderick, a musician, wrote in a scathing Facebook post, “Mayim is doing what she's doing in performative solidarity with the writers' strike and Ken is stepping in to keep the show running in accordance with his contract as a SAG-AFTRA game show host.”
In his post, Roderick also shades Wil Wheaton who lambasted Jennings for his decision by writing on social media, “This is a VERY small town, Ken Jennings, and we will all remember this. Your privilege may protect you right now, but we will *never* forget,” reports TV Insider.
Roderick appeared to have replied by saying, “I'm not going to say that Mayim, or Wil Wheaton, are SHOWBOATING, and maybe Wil doesn't know how labor works either, but there's a lot of irrelevant virtue-signaling on this topic that, frankly, is both boring and idiotic.”
Then he spoke in Jennings’ defense, “If you look at SAG-AFTRA rules there are contractual carve-outs for daytime television and game shows specifically. Ken is a member of SAG in good standing.”
He further added by talking about different rules and contracts by saying, “Everyone in Hollywood is aware that different unions have different rules and different contracts apply differently to different jobs. There are TENS OF THOUSANDS of union workers in Hollywood still working.”
However, in May, a screenwriter for ‘Jeopardy!’ Michael Loud said to Variety, “Our words are on the screen every night,” before adding, “There is no ‘Jeopardy’ without writers. Without us it’s just an empty blue screen.”