‘Jeopardy!’ Gives A Shout To Former Host Mayim Bialik Amid Firing

Jeopardy! is known for featuring all sorts of references to pop culture in its categories. However, fans noted that a recent clue involved one of the show’s former hosts, Mayim Bialik. Fans also shared their surprise online at seeing Bialik, or at least one of her characters, get mentioned on social media.

The Contestants Had To Guess Shows By Famous Couples

In the episode, Mark Fitzpatrick returned after winning the previous three consecutive games. He went up against Colleen Kelly and Robert Franke.

The first series of categories included TV Coupling, in which players had to guess the show from its couples. It was the $600 clue, however, which Kelly buzzed into and guessed, that ended up surprising viewers.

Host Ken Jennings read the clue, “Sheldon & Amy, pure genius.” Kelly gave the correct response: “What is The Big Bang Theory?” Famously, Amy was played by Mayim Bialik, who has had quite the Jeopardy! connection.

Bialik served as an interim host on the series in 2021. She would go on to rotate the hosting position with Ken Jennings well until 2023. In May 2023, she would also notably compete on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune against Jennings and Wheel of Fortune‘s Vanna White.

As an actress, Bialik first rose to prominence as a child star, notably appearing as the lead in NBC’s Blossom. She also notably appeared as the younger version of Bette Midler’s character in Beaches.

Bialik Has Been An Actress, A Host, & Even Earned A Doctorate In Neuroscience

In 2010, Bialik would join the cast of The Big Bang Theory as Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, who would go on to become Sheldon Cooper’s love-interest. The role fitting for the actress as, during a break from acting, she had earned a doctorate in neuroscience.

As noted by The U.S. Sun, Bialik stepped away from Jeopardy! in support of the Hollywood’s Writer’s Strike. Initially, she appeared to be taking a temporary leave of absence from the show before permanently leaving the show in December 2023. This has left Jennings the sole host of the show.

With her character’s recent mention on the series, fans have been sharing their reactions on social media. As noted by The U.S. Sun, one viewer shared on Reddit that, “I lost it at Ken casually reading the Mayim clue. I know he wanted to say more.” Another wrote that, “Always gets me when a Big Bang Theory clue comes up in the post-Mayim era.”

By the end of the show, the Final Jeopardy! would decide who would win the night. The final category was “Word Origins,” with the clue reading: “This word for one who cuts a trail comes from a name of a character in an 1840 novel.” None of the three contestants correctly guessed the right response: “What is Pathfinder?”

Fitzpatrick wagered $0, allowing him to keep his winning final total of $23,600. For his part, Franke only bet $130, giving him a final score of $6,070. For her part, Kelly bet it all. Despite that, she still managed to make an impression on fans, guessing the correct response to the Mayim Bialik-adjacent clue.

Did you catch the Mayim Bialik connection on the Jeopardy! clue? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.