After long-running game show “Jeopardy!” announced a major decision about its hosting duties, many fans are threatening to boycott the show.
On Wednesday, the show announced legendary “Jeopardy!” player Ken Jennings and actress Mayim Bialik would continue splitting hosting duties for the rest of the season.
“Please join us in welcoming the official co-hosts of Jeopardy!, @kenjennings and @missmayim!” the show wrote on its official Twitter account. “We couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Please join us in welcoming the official co-hosts of Jeopardy!, @kenjennings and @missmayim! We couldn’t be more thrilled.
For more on our new hosts and new initiatives, click to read a note from Jeopardy! EP @embassydavies: https://t.co/U8MeXCdsec pic.twitter.com/WTSAnZPAv2
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) July 27, 2022
According to the New York Post, Jennings is set to host the show from September to January. After that, Bialik will take over from January through the end of the season.
Jennings will also host the Second Chance Tournament and the Tournament of Champions, while Bialik will host “Celebrity Jeopardy!” and other special tournaments.
However, many fans were less than pleased with the decision to keep Bialik, who has been relatively unpopular as a host, in the rotation.
“Great! I’ll watch through December when Ken hosts,” one user commented. “I will not watch any Jeopardy Mayim hosts.”
Great! I’ll watch through December when Ken hosts. I will not watch any Jeopardy Mayim hosts
— Joan O’Brien (@JoanOB127) July 27, 2022
She was not the only one to threaten a boycott of episodes in which Bialik served as the host.
“Ken Jennings is perfect,” another user wrote. “A wonderful fit and a non forced sense of humor. Mayim is so awkward. She pauses when a person answers a [jeopardy] question. She never says if it’s the first or second double jeopardy answer. I will not watch her anymore.”
Ken Jennings is perfect. A wonderful fit and a non forced sense of humor. Mayim is so awkward. She pauses when a person answers a jeapardy question. She never says if it’s the first or second double jeopardy answer. I will not watch her anymore.
— Jeff Price (@psa3price) July 30, 2022
Other fans predicted the ratings would clearly show which host the audience liked more.
“No one is thrilled to see Mayim co-hosting at all, if you’d listen to the people most of us preferred Ken as the full-time host over Mayim Bialik,” another commenter wrote. “Watch when viewership goes down when Mayim hosts & then goes up with Ken you guys will regret to co-host crap. #SorryNotSorry”
No one is thrilled to see Mayim co-hosting at all, if you’d listen to the people most of us preferred Ken as the full-time host over Mayim Bialik. Watch when viewership goes down when Mayim hosts & then goes up with Ken you guys will regret to co-host crap. #SorryNotSorry
— Rene Tarantino (@bigrendawg313) July 27, 2022
Bialik has often been criticized for making mistakes while hosting — some of which have had to be corrected live by “Jeopardy!” producers.
Ealier this month, a clue on the show said, “From a Latin word for ‘to clock,’ it’s the type of care given to seriously ill patients to provide comfort without curing,” the New York Post reported.
Contestant Andie Huskie gave the correct answer, “palliative care,” but pronounced it wrong. He quickly corrected the pronunciation, but Bialik said the answer was wrong and moved on.
Will you watch “Jeopardy!” with Bialik as host?
Just seconds later after awarding the next category choice to a different contestant, Bialik was forced to correct herself from the previous answer.
“We have a score change, and, Andie, it affects you,” Bialik said. “The judges have reviewed your response, and you corrected your response of ‘palliative care’ before I began to rule you incorrect. We will be adding $4,000 to your score. That puts you in the lead.”
In March, Bialik vowed to stop using the term “Single Jeopardy!” for the opening round of the game, Newsweek reported. Fans became agitated at her use of the term because the round has traditionally been called simply “Jeopardy!”
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