Ken Jennings called an 'opportunist' for taking over Mayim Bialik's 'Jeopardy!' duties amid writers' strike
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ken Jennings is facing backlash after taking over hosting duties for Mayim Bialik after the 'Big Bang Theory' star reportedly stepped away from the game show podium.
Bialik, 47, is said to have quit her hosting gig in solidarity with the Writers Guild of America with just one week of filming left in Season 39. The final episodes were reportedly filmed between May 16 and May 19 at the Sony Pictures lot in Culver City, California. Production for the show continued with Jennings stepping in to fill the role before the hit show's summer hiatus. The move, however, did not sit well with some 'Jeopardy!' staffers and was said to have rubbed viewers the wrong way.
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People 'rooting' for Mayim Bialik
The writers' strike notably brought several high-rating shows to a screeching halt, including 'Saturday Night Live' and 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.' Reports suggest soap operas will soon run out of completed episodes to air.
That said, TV sources have excoriated Jennings as an "opportunist" for crossing the picket line. Speaking to Radar Online, the insider said the former 'Jeopardy!' champ "showed his true colors" as he took home tens of thousands more per episode as host. "It's one thing for a crew member who can't afford to quit to keep coming to work — but he's getting a fat paycheck," the insider said.
The insider claimed that a lot of people were "rooting" for Bialik to host the show full time, "especially after she made the brave decision to support the show's writers, even at the expense of her career." According to the tipster, Jennings crossing the picket line "was seen as a grandstand play, even for him."
'This show is so hard to host'
Jennings co-hosted the show with Bialik after the tragic death of longtime host Alex Trebek in 2021. The iconic host died at 80 after a long battle with cancer and a long run on the show, which he always cherished. "I love spending time with bright people ... and Jeopardy! puts me in touch with bright folks all the time," Trebek told NPR in 2016.
Executive producer Michael Davies has since urged fans to be patient with both Bialik and Jennings. “When Ken is hosting and Mayim is hosting, there’s zero difference [in ratings],” he told Vulture in an interview in May. He said there was “an incredible fracture at the heart of Jeopardy” when he first arrived, noting Trebek's demise, and that there was a lot of rebuilding to do after he left.
“This show is so hard to host," Davies explained. "I wish many of our fans were more patient in understanding that we’re dealing with two hosts. Mayim is a very experienced actress. Ken is a very experienced Jeopardy! player. They’re both at the beginning of their hosting careers. I back them both," he added.