Mayim Bialik has shared Jeopardy! hosting duties with Ken Jennings for some time now, and while it still remains to be seen whether the game show will stick with either for its permanent host, viewers have gotten plenty of time to decide what they do and don’t like about them. Bialik recently talked about some of the feedback she’s gotten since taking the role, and surprisingly, one of the critiques is not something that the late Alex Trebek heard during his tenure.
Apparently, one piece of feedback Mayim Bialik endures as a host on Jeopardy! are comments made about her choice of clothing. The star talked to Entertainment Tonight about the criticism and shared her perspective on what folks should be focusing on.
It’s very interesting to me, you know, to say, ‘Well, gosh, what should I wear?’ Alex wore a different suit every single show, but people didn’t think about it that much because it was navy or it was gray. Whereas I might wear colors sometimes and you might recognize that jacket because we also have a budget. [But] it’s not about what Mayim Bialik’s wearing, it’s about these contestants and, like, all the random, amazing things that they know.
It’s intriguing to hear fans take note of Mayim Bialik’s clothes, though, as she mentioned, it’s probably because she incorporates more variety than Alex Trebek. When someone is wearing a dark suit every episode, there’s not really much to notice. Bialik likes to incorporate a little bit more color into her wardrobe, but at the same time, doesn’t feel that’s a reason for fans to focus more on her clothes than the game itself.
Fans allegedly aren’t the only ones talking about Mayim Bialik’s clothes on Jeopardy! either. A report from November 2021 claimed that Bialik’s insistence on choosing her own wardrobe caused eye rolls from the crew working backstage. Given that report, it’d be interesting to know if perhaps the clothing choices were criticized because they drew the attention of fans. With that said, there’s no shortage of people with a variety of opinions on Bialik, including former champions.
It’s worth noting that despite any previous complaints or comments about clothing, there are some out there who believe Mayim Bialik is already Jeopardy!’s permanent host. Bialik has also noted that she’d like to continue hosting after Season 38, when her current agreement will end.
Executive producer Michael Davies hasn’t confirmed to viewers if Mayim Bialik has the job, though, and there’s added speculation that with Ken Jennings’ recent exit from The Chase that he’s actually getting the role. In short, no one still really knows what to think when it comes to where the show is leaning toward its host. Whoever ends up getting the role, hopefully, fans won’t be as critical about things like clothing and get back to waiting for the next great champion (like that newcomer Mattea Roach) to make a run in the game.
Jeopardy! airs on weekdays, and if you’re in my neck of the woods, slightly before primetime. As such, it’s always a great primer for a night of exciting television, and with so many new shows coming and going, now might be a good time to peep our TV premiere schedule to see what new series are best to follow some quiz show goodness.
