Ken Jennings to serve as only host of syndicated version of 'Jeopardy!' going forward, show announces



Actress Mayim Bialik announced that Sony notified her she will not continue hosting the syndicated version of the gameshow "Jeopardy!"

"Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!" Bialik said in a statement. "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. For all of you who have supported me through this incredible journey and to the fans, contestants, writers, staff and crew of America's Favorite Quiz Show, thank you."

"Jeopardy!" legend Ken Jennings, who has been sharing hosting duties with Bialik, will serve as the only host of the program going forward, according to a statement posted by the show on social media.

"Mayim Bialik has announced she will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!. 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!. We are truly grateful for all of Mayim's contributions to Jeopardy!, and we hope to continue to work with her on primetime specials," the show's statement noted.

Jennings, who rose to fame when he won a whopping 74 games, amassing more than $2.5 million in winnings as a contestant on the show, still holds the record for the most consecutive games won and for highest winnings during regular-season play.

"Jennings and Mayim Bialik officially became the hosts of the show ahead of Season 39 in July 2022, after guest hosting the show in Season 37 and sharing hosting duties for Season 38," the "Jeopardy!" website states. "In May 2023, he [Jennings] hosted the first-ever 'Jeopardy! Masters' tournament in primetime on ABC."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Who Wants to Be the Next ‘Jeopardy!’ Host: Ken Jennings (Round II)

Ken Jennings returned for a second stint as guest host. In the episodes that aired last week, he appeared more willing to open up a bit.

‘Jeopardy’s’ Weirdest Week Ever Begins. Will Audiences Stay For It?

The show's new host departed the day after he taped the first five episodes of 'Jeopardy's' 38th season, leading to what will likely stand as its most awkward week ever.

After Months Of Public Auditions, ‘Jeopardy!’ Finally Settles On New Hosts

After trying out 16 different individuals, 'Jeopardy!' executives decided to appoint their own Mike Richards and actress Mayim Bialik as the new permanent hosts.

Wannabe ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Ken Jennings Is A Brett Kavanaugh Rape Truther Who Hates Republicans

"Jeopardy!" champion Ken Jennings is trying to backtrack on years of insults hurled at conservatives in what some have speculated is a bid for the popular game show's open host position.

'Jeopardy!' names Ken Jennings as guest host. Just 1 day later, cancel culture comes for him over a 6-year-old tweet.



Former "Jeopardy!" champion — and newly announced guest host — Ken Jennings is facing cancel culture after a questionable 2014 tweet of his resurfaced, sparking outrage on the internet.

Jennings currently holds the record for the longest winning streak at 74 of any contestant on the show.

On Monday, the show announced Jennings as one of production's guest hosts.

What are the details?

As highlighted by Decider, Jennings in 2014 tweeted, "Nothing sadder than a hot person in a wheelchair."

In 2018, he issued an apology for the remarks, saying, "I never did a public flogging for this but I did apologize personally to angry/hurt people who reached out to me personally. It was a joke so inept that it meant something very different in my head & I regret the ableist plain reading of it."

@BvrlyTweetmaker I never did a public flogging thing for this but I did apologize personally to angry/hurt people w… https://t.co/YariDIyMvx
— Ken Jennings (@Ken Jennings)1524255174.0

He later added, "I'm strongly against deleting old tweets, even the gross ones. [S]eems like whitewashing."

@crippledscholar I’m strongly against deleting old tweets, even the gross ones. seems like whitewashing.
— Ken Jennings (@Ken Jennings)1524338628.0

The offending tweet resurfaced once more after Jennings was named a guest host following the death of longtime host, Alex Trebek, who passed away on Nov. 8 at the age of 80 after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer.

Actress Yvette Nicole Brown responded to the announcement of Jennings' new position by simply tweeting, "Nope," pointing to the 2014 controversy.

"His tweet was bad enough," she later added, according to Decider. "But the arrogance or callousness to leave it up [on his feed] says more about him than the horrible tweet does."

Screen Rant reported that Brown wasn't the only one opposed to Jennings temporarily standing in as host, and some "Jeopardy!" fans have even reportedly said they refuse to watch the show with Jennings at the helm.

The Wrap also reported that Jennings has also been taking fire from the disabled community. The outlet cited Rebecca Cokley, who is director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress.

Cokley wrote, "[Y]eah..[N]ot sure I'll be able to watch Jeopardy after learning what an ableist-trash heap Ken Jennings is. That just sucks."

yeah..not sure if i'll be able to watch Jeopardy after learning what an ableist trash-heap Ken Jennings is. That just sucks.
— Rebecca Cokley (@Rebecca Cokley)1606233741.0

Anything else to know?

At the time of this reporting, Jennings' initial offending tweet appears to have since been deleted.

"Jeopardy!" is still in its 37th season, and set to begin filming on Monday with Jennings as its host. The new shows hosted by Jennings will air in January 2021, the show said.

A long-term host to replace the beloved Trebek has not yet been announced.

With Alex Trebek, We Say Goodbye To An Era In Television

Because he made them feel at home, Americans welcomed Alex Trebek into their homes, night after night, for good-natured entertainment.