James Corden recently welcomed Mayim Bialik to his late-night show, the primary topic of conversation of course being her hosting duties alongside Ken Jennings for the game show Jeopardy!.
While Bialik understands what the show means to fans, she wasn’t really aware that people were so passionate about Jeopardy!, saying to Corden, (H/T, TV Insider) that she was the headline on CNN for days in a row.
“I was the headline on CNN three days in a row. Who knew people were so passionate about who hosts Jeopardy!?”
It’s evident that now she knows just what that hosting gig means to fans, and while she appreciates the opportunity, she says that the show isn’t about her as a host. Bialik says she understands wanting to be seen, but the bottom line is—she’s meant to read clues. She believes the focus should be more about the minds of the contestants who appear nightly.
“I mean, I’m just trying to read the clues. You know, just let me read the clues. The thing about Jeopardy!, we spend our whole lives wanting to be seen, you know, and this job is like — people should think the least about me as possible. Meaning, it’s my job to be the host, just like read the clues.”
Fans have such strong opinions about who hosts the series, likely in part because of who had the job for so long. Alex Trebek gave us all clues for 37 seasons, mixing in tidbits of information, sharing stories, and leaving us all with a positive thought at the end of most episodes.
After his cancer diagnosis, he addressed fans as he always did and let them know that he would fight, updating viewers throughout his journey. His last episode holds a special place in the hearts of those who loved him and the series together.
It makes sense that viewers are passionate about who takes the reins next. For the remainder of this season, Bialik is sharing responsibilities with Ken Jennings, and it’s shaping up to be an impressive one. Contestant Matt Amodio made Jeopardy! history last Friday as he became one of the few contestants to reach $1 Million in winnings.
