After much speculation over who would lead Jeopardy! season 40, winner-turned-host Ken Jennings has officially taken over as the only host.
Summary
- Ken Jennings has been confirmed as the sole host of Jeopardy! season 40 amid the ongoing strikes by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA.
- Season 40 will feature recycled questions from previous episodes and bring back contestants from season 37 to compensate for the absence of writers and researchers.
- Mayim Bialik, who served as a co-host with Jennings, walked away from the series in solidarity with the WGA strike, and it remains uncertain if she will return after the strikes end.
Ken Jennings is officially confirmed to be the sole host of Jeopardy! season 40. Much like the rest of Hollywood, the series has been in an uncertain position following the exit of co-host Mayim Balik and the writing staff due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America Strike. Jeopardy! season 40 will bring back contestants from season 37 and use recycled questions from previous episodes to make up for the absence of writers and researchers. The amount of money winners receive has also been increased. However, the biggest question surrounding Jeopardy! season 40 has revolved around whether Jennings would host alone, or with Bialik.
Jeopardy! season 40 picked up on Monday night and, per Deadline, Jennings has been locked in as a solo host. Little has been revealed about Bialik’s future with the game show, but it seems that as long as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA are on strike, Jennings will be the sole face of Jeopardy!.
Why Mayim Bialik Isn’t Returning To Jeopardy
Following the passing of Alex Trebek, both Jennings and Bialik served as co-hosts of Jeopardy!. This came to a head last May, when Bialik abruptly walked away from the series. This was done as an act of solidarity with the WGA strike that had started that month. Now, as the SAG-AFTRA strike enters its second month, Bialik (a member of the organization) declined to return as the host of Celebrity Jeopardy! season 2. In the months leading up to her walk-off, Bialik had been divisive among fans as a host but still stuck with the job. Whether she’ll be given the option to return following the strikes is yet to be seen.
Showrunner Michael Davies admitted that when Bialik left Jeopardy!, it “derailed” his plans for the postseason and season 40. Her leaving in solidarity with writers and later actors, while valiant, may have left her in a harsh position with the producers. Jeopardy! is signed on to go for another five seasons, so finding a new host could always be in the cards. Until then, it seems that Jennings has no issue filling in. Time will only tell what the future of hosting will look like at the series, and when the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes will end.
Sources: Deadline
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
