Fans are curious if she would ever want to return – even for a one-off or special

JEOPARDY!’s team, from top executives to staffers, was not heartbroken over Mayim Bialik’s dismissal from the game show, a studio source tells The U.S. Sun.

Mayim, 49, announced she’d been let go from the series in December 2023, making former champion Ken Jennings the sole host.

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Mayim Bialik during a taping of Jeopardy! in 2022Credit: AP

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Jeopardy!’s judges table with executive producer Michael Davies (left), producer Sarah Foss and its top writersCredit: Jeopardy!

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Ken Jennings was made the sole host of the franchise after her exitCredit: Getty
Jeopardy! never released an additional official statement after they confirmed her exit last December, nor has she.

So, the exact circumstances surrounding Mayim’s dismissal have – in large part – remained unclear.

Earlier this month, bosses removed the last traces of her from their website – making it clear they’re sticking with Ken but leaving some fans still wondering what went on behind closed doors.

While it’s no secret that many fans preferred Ken’s host style while the stars switched off, The U.S. Sun has been told that nearly everyone who works for the show was also closer to him.

The source said Mayim’s lack of a winning bond with production compared to Ken, who became famous on the show he now hosts, contributed to her exit.

‘DIDN’T MAKE FRIENDS’

“Mayim was never a perfect fit and she really didn’t have great relations with the executives in charge of the studio,” The U.S. Sun’s source claimed.

“They were always more comfortable dealing with Mayim’s representatives instead of Mayim herself.

“And Mayim’s personality is no-nonsense – she’s not somebody you can win over with a lavish lunch at Soho House or something.”

The source said that staffers have tip-toed around the topic of her exit.

“Nobody at Sony refers to Mayim’s exit as a ‘firing’ out of respect for her and her team.”

However, while the show’s tight-knit writers and judges respected the actress, she reportedly never tried getting to know them.

“She didn’t fit in well but she also wasn’t around much apart from taping days because she had significant other commitments during her run on the show.

“Did she make a bunch of friends on the crew or among the Sony executives? No.

“That’s another place where Ken has an edge because he’s spent so many years associated with the show. He has real supporters inside the organization that Mayim simply never did.”

The U.S. Sun has reached out to Mayim Bialik’s representatives for comment.

GOOD BYE-IM!

Ken and Mayim were announced as the new co-hosts in July 2022, succeeding the late great Alex Trebek.

It seemed like the iconic game show had finally filled the big shoes of the irreplaceable Alex – but it wasn’t so.

Mayim initially walked out last spring in solidarity with the WGA strike, and as Ken thrived in the sole host role, she would never return.

Sony – the show’s parent company – cut ties with the Big Bang Theory actress.

The news came from Mayim herself, who wrote on Instagram on December 15, 2023, that she had been told she’d no longer be hosting the program.

An hour later, Jeopardy! shared its only statement since, a similar-looking Instagram message confirming her dismissal.

Jeopardy!’s showrunner, Michael Davies, later cited “consistency” as the reason she was let go and said Ken “won the job” regarding viewer preference.

It was previously reported that they were each tied to $4 million contracts, which Ken presumably still makes.

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Mayim Bialik’s Instagram statement announcing her Jeopardy! dismissalCredit: INSTAGRAM/missmayim

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Jeopardy! shared a similar-looking message citing ‘continuity’ as the reason for her exit an hour laterCredit: Jeopardy!

‘DANCE OF EGOS’

Some fans are also still curious if there’s a possibility Mayim could return even for a special – it’s not likely, The U.S. Sun’s source said.

Mayim initially walked out the previous spring in solidarity with the WGA strike.

When she returned, she reportedly wanted to be given top billing over Ken, which wasn’t happening.

“The bottom line is that she wanted the sole hosting job and Sony wasn’t willing to give that to her, and she decided to walk away because of that,” the source continued.

“Mayim’s exit was a dance of egos because she didn’t want to look bad and neither did the Sony executives overseeing the show.

“But by the time Mayim made her announcement, the writing was on the wall that she wasn’t going to get the full-time hosting job.

“As to Sony’s public reaction, I don’t think they were surprised with Mayim making the announcement herself, but the top TV executive at Sony [Katherine Pope] is incredibly paranoid about any kind of bad press and is always trying to keep up appearances.

“The timing of Sony’s statement is certainly consistent with how this executive likes to sweep any problem under the rug as quickly as humanly possible.

“Sony’s statement was absolutely meant to close the door on the ‘Mayim era’ and not open up another can of worms.”

“Nobody involved with the show is talking like Mayim is coming back anytime soon.

“I think the bigger question is, would Mayim say ‘yes’ if invited back as a fill-in? I’m not sure that she would.”

NOT ENOUGH ‘FAN SUPPORT’

The source also shared that she may have stayed co-host if Mayim had more fan support.

“I do think if Mayim had a lot more support from fans and from the online ‘Jeopardy!’ community – which she certainly did have during her years on ‘Big Bang Theory’ – her time at the show would have ended differently, if at all.

“The best thing about Ken Jennings is that everybody who watches ‘Jeopardy!’ knows exactly who he is.”

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Mayim Bialik hosting Season 1 of the Celebrity Jeopardy! reboot in 2022Credit: Getty

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Mayim Bialik with Ken Jennings when the Jeopardy! G.O.A.T. starred in her Call Me Kat sitcomCredit: Getty