Mayim Bialik Named Temporary Full-Time Jeopardy! Host After Mike Richards’ Departure

Following the news of Mike Richards’ departure as full-time Jeopardy! host last week, Sony Pictures Television has found a new host to take over the iconic game show — at least for the time being. On Monday, Sony announced that The Big Bang Theory alum Mayim Bialik will serve as the full-time Jeopardy! host for the next few weeks while the search for a permanent host continues. Bialik is currently scheduled to host three weeks worth of shows.

When Richards was originally announced as the full-time successor to Alex Trebek, Bialik was announced as the game show’s secondary host. Her responsibilities would include hosting special tournaments and prime time games, while Richards hosted the regular series. In the wake of Richards’ departure, having Bialik temporarily take over feels like an easy transition.

Richards, who already executive produces Jeopardy! and oversaw the search to replace Trebek, was tapped as full-time host earlier this month. However, multiple reports about Richards’ conduct on different programs in years prior, as well as the fact that he essentially hired himself, saw a ton of negative feedback from fans online. Not long after being announced as the new host, Richards stepped down.

When Richards confirmed that he would be exiting, he had already taped multiple episodes of Jeopardy. Despite his exit, Sony will air those episodes as they were scheduled, in order to continue the continuity of the players. Bialik will step in after those episodes for a run of 15 total games, all of which will be taped this week.

Following Bialik’s extended stint, the search for a new host will continue, with more guest hosts set to take over for a couple of weeks at a time. There haven’t been any new guest hosts announced at this time.

Many fans are wondering if there will be any guest hosts from the first wave of auditions that get another go this time around. LeVar Burton, the overwhelming fan-favorite to take over the full-time job, only got one week of shows as a guest host, as opposed to the two weeks many others were given. Additionally, Burton’s shows aired during the week of the Olympics, so the viewership for his episodes may have been affected. The Jeopardy! faithful would certainly love to se Burton get another round of guest hosting duties if he’s still in consideration for the job.

Who do you want to see named full-time Jeopardy! host? Let us know in the comments!