Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings have signed deals to continue splitting hosting duties on "Jeopardy!" for the long run, the executive producer of the popular syndicated game show announced Wednesday.
"We always knew we would need multiple hosts for the franchise and we are just so grateful that Mayim and Ken stepped in and stepped up to put the show in a position to succeed," Michael Davies, the executive producer, said in part in a statement posted on the show's website Wednesday afternoon.
Jennings, a former "Jeopardy!" champion, will kick off the next season of the show in September and handle emcee duties through December, Davies said.
Bialik, a former cast member on the sitcom "The Big Bang Theory," will take over from Jennings in January. She will host some new tournaments, the show's college championship and "as many weeks as she can manage with her other primetime commitment" to the Fox sitcom "Call Me Kat," Davies said.
"We know you value consistency," Davies said, "so we will not flip flop the hosts constantly and will keep you informed about the hosting schedule."
The announcement comes nearly a year after Mike Richards, the former executive producer of "Jeopardy!" who was tapped to succeed Alex Trebek as host, stepped aside amid scrutiny of comments he made about women, Jews and poor people on a podcast.
Richards' detractors also resurfaced two discrimination lawsuits in which he was involved. Richards denied any wrongdoing in the lawsuits and apologized for the comments he made on the podcast.
The show originally hired a roster of prospective hosts that included Richards, Bialik, Jennings, football star Aaron Rodgers and "Reading Rainbow" host LeVar Burton.
In the wake of Richards' exit, "Jeopardy!" lined up Bialik and Jennings to share hosting duties on a temporary basis. The show said in September that the two would emcee through the end of 2021, then said in December they would stay on through 2022.
Wednesday’s announcement caps months of uncertainty over who would fill the role left vacant by Trebek. Trebek, who had been the face of the franchise since 1984, died on Nov. 8, 2020, after a 20-month experience with pancreatic cancer.
