Mayim Bialik was reportedly receiving a substantial salary of around $4 million annually before her sudden departure from “Jeopardy!” last week. This information, reported by Puck News, indicates that her salary encompassed her work on both the syndicated version of the game show and its various primetime specials on ABC. It was suggested that Bialik’s salary would have seen an annual increase of $1 million had she continued her tenure with the show.
Ken Jennings, Bialik’s co-host on “Jeopardy!,” was also reported to be earning $4 million a year, a figure that is expected to rise now that he has become the sole host of the show.
Bialik announced her departure from “Jeopardy!” on Instagram last Friday, stating that Sony had informed her she would no longer be hosting the syndicated version of the show. She expressed gratitude for the Emmy nomination she received for hosting and acknowledged the support she received during her time on the show.
Soon after Bialik’s announcement, Sony, the producer of “Jeopardy!,” confirmed her exit. They explained the decision to have a single host for the next season was made to ensure continuity for viewers, appointing Jennings as the exclusive host.
Bialik had been absent from “Jeopardy!” since May of the last year when she withdrew from the final weeks of Season 39 in support of the show’s striking writers. This led Jennings to step in and conclude the season. Bialik and Jennings were officially named co-hosts of the syndicated version of “Jeopardy!” in the summer of 2022, following a tumultuous period that included the brief tenure of Mike Richards, Alex Trebek’s original successor.
Representatives for Sony, Bialik, and Jennings did not comment on the matter.
