What happened to Alyson Hannigan on ‘Penn and Teller?’

For seven seasons, Alyson Hannigan brought a very special energy to the show Penn and Teller: Fool Us. The actress was both parts skeptical (but not too much) and positive (but not annoyingly so), and created a special bond with the audience that helped the show be successful.

Unfortunately, she left the show, so let’s dive in to why that happened.

Why did Alyson Hannigan leave Penn and Teller: Fool Us?

Before she joined the show Penn and Teller: Fool Us, Alyson Hannigan had already had a very successful career in film and television. She appeared in the 1999 hit American Pie and its 2001 sequel, among other films.

She had a longstanding role in the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the classic sitcom How I Met Your Mother as well. She joined Penn & Teller: Fool Us in 2011.

She joined the show in its third season, replacing Jonathan Ross. At the time, she told The Hollywood Reporter that she and her eldest daughter were “huge fans of the show.”

“Not to mention, Penn & Teller are genius entertainers, so any opportunity to work with them is amazing. And, of course, I’ve always wanted to play Vegas!” 

Penn Jillette returned the compliment, saying that the duo “are big fans of Alyson.”

“She is talented, smart and funny. We are so happy that she’s joining us as host this season. She has promised us that she loves magic and can’t get enough. She’d better not be bluffing, because we’re going to give her more than enough.” 

So why did she leave? The truth of the matter is we just don’t know. It could be for a number of reasons. Maybe producers wanted to freshen things up. Maybe Hannigan simply wanted to try something new. It could’ve been a contract dispute.

There hasn’t been any rumors about a break up or contention between Hannigan and the hosts, so it simply may be that the time came for her to move on.

Others speculate that as Hannigan grew older, the show’s producers felt they needed someone “more attractive” to take over. Whatever the reason, she seems to be doing just fine.

Hannigan is currently tearing it up along with her partner Sasha Farber on Dancing With The Stars, even though current odds have her as a long show along with social media star Harry Jowsey.

Regardless, Penn and Teller: Fool Us has moved on with a new host: Brooke Burke. Burke used to host the show Wild On! on the E! Network and coincidentally, she won the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars.