Mayim Bialik may have been one of the most controversial hosts to helm Jeopardy since Alex Trebek‘s tragic passing, but that doesn’t mean the show can’t give her a shout out every once in a while.
The actress was referenced in a clue on Wednesday’s (Oct. 9) episode that challenged contestants to name which show these famous television couples hailed from, per the New York Post.
The $600 clue asked contestants, “Sheldon & Amy, pure genius,” referring to the Big Bang Theory characters played by Jim Parsons and Bialik.
After contestant Colleen Kelly correctly solved the puzzle, Jeopardy host Ken Jennings confirmed she was correct but did not comment on the clear reference to his former co-host.
This comes almost a year after Bialik announced in December 2023 that she had been fired from Jeopardy after taking a months-long hiatus in support of the writer’s strike.
“Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!” she shared on social media at the time. “I am incredibly honored to have been nominated for a primetime Emmy for hosting this year and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the Jeopardy! family.”
A TMZ report at the time claimed Bialik’s absence “opened execs’ eyes about their dual host system” and gave Jennings time to improve his hosting skills.
Jeopardy executive producer Michael Davies seemed to corroborate this when he addressed the circumstances surrounding Bialik’s exit. “Mayim is a superb host — we hope to keep working with her on primetime versions and other spinoffs, those conversations are ongoing– but Ken really won the job,” he said earlier this year.
Jennings confessed soon after the news broke that her decision to leave caught him “off guard.”
“I loved working with my Mayim and I’m gonna miss her,” he said. “I can’t speak to her decision-making process or her opinions about it.”
But fans of the series know that Bialik became a divisive figure on the show and faced much criticism — much of it fueled by sexism — when she shared co-hosting duties with Jennings.
Jennings may be on his own now, but he’s expressed that he hopes to follow in Trebek’s footsteps and stay on the show for decades.
