If anyone is suitable to step into the shoes of Alex Trebek, Ken Jennings certainly seems like the ideal candidate. To this day, Jennings holds the title of longest run on Jeopardy! with an incredible 74 consecutive wins under his belt. In total, Jennings won $4,522,700 across his record-breaking streak, as well as additional cash prizes on subsequent Jeopardy! specials. Not only does Jennings hold the record for most successful Jeopardy! contestant, he also has bragging rights over earning the highest winnings of any game show contestant in U.S. television history.
TV legend Alex Trebek hosted Jeopardy! from its first revival season in 1984, until his final episodes aired in 2021, making Trebek one of the longest-running TV hosts ever. After Alex Trebek sadly passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer in late 2020, the show decided to go on and continue Trebek’s legacy by proceeding with what is arguably TV’s most beloved quiz show.
Initially, the role of host was taken over by quiz show producer Mike Richards, in a position meant to be permanent. However, after a slew of sexist and racist comments, as well as a history of sexual harassment allegations surrounding the TV personality were uncovered, Richards stepped down from the role. Since then, Ken Jennings and actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik have taken turns as the show’s co-hosts.
Is Ken Jennings the permanent host of ‘Jeopardy!’?
Ken Jennings hosted Jeopardy! on a rotational basis with Mayim Bialik from Summer 2021 onwards. Jennings and Bialik were named as permanent hosts of Jeopardy! in 2022, with no plans to add more hosts to the rotation, as well as the pair being given a bump-up from their benefits as temporary hosts.
In mid-2023, Bialik stepped away from hosting duties in solidarity with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, which lasted from May 2nd to September 27th of that year. Jennings has been labeled a “scab” for continuing his hosting duties during the strikes, something Jennings has claimed is consistent with the actions of Alex Trebek during the 2007-08 writers’ strike, and maintains he also supported the aims of the strike.
After the WGA strike ended, however, Bialik did not return to hosting duties at Jeopardy!, partly due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strikes that continued until November of that year. In December, Deadline confirmed in a report that Bialik was no longer a host, and that her exit was now a permanent one.
“Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!” Bialik wrote when news of her departure broke. “I am incredibly honored to have been nominated for a primetime Emmy for hosting this year and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the Jeopardy! family.”
Bialik’s statement seemingly implied that she was let go from the quiz show by the producers, but Sony’s statement on the matter seemingly stated it was possibly the actor’s decision to leave – as well as announcing Jeopardy’s new approach to hosting for the forseeable future.
“Mayim Bialik has announced she will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!,” a spokesperson for Sony stated. “We made the decision to have one host for the syndicated show next season to maintain continuity for our viewers, and Ken Jennings will be the sole host for syndicated Jeopardy!“
Just like during his time as a contestant, Ken Jennings beat out all the competition to be the last man standing on Jeopardy!, although the show’s producers have seemingly left the door open for Mayim Bialik to possibly return to host special editions of the show.
