Mayim Bialik has left her “Jeopardy!” hosting duties before the end of the game show’s season in solidarity with striking writers, leaving co-host Ken Jennings to take on her duties.
Season 39 of the long-running show is in its final weeks of filming as the Writers Guild of America strike continues. Bialik, 39, who was named one of two permanent hosts along with Jennings in August 2021, has left the show early in support of the writers, Deadline reported.
Jennings will reportedly become the sole host in her absence and will finish the rest of the season, which ends on May 19.
WGA writers went on strike on May 2 for the first time in 15 years. They are asking for an increase in wages and a pay structure that takes into account streaming. The WGA represents over 11,000 entertainment industry writers.
The strike includes all of the writers on "Jeopardy!" – the most viewed syndicated show in the US with over 9 million viewers each week, according to Deadline.
“Our words are on the screen every night,” writer Michele Loud told Variety. “There is no ‘Jeopardy!’ without writers. Without us, it’s just an empty blue screen.”
Bialik, well known for her roles on the sitcoms “Blossom” and “The Big Bang Theory,” began hosting "Jeopardy!" in November 2020 after longtime host Alex Trek died at the age of 80.