(NewsNation) — Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings have signed a deal to continue splitting “Jeopardy!” hosting duties permanently, executive producer Michael Davies announced Wednesday.
“In Mayim and Ken, we have two outstanding hosts at the beginning of their ‘Jeopardy!’ hosting careers who connect with their own unique fanbases, new fans, and the traditional ‘Jeopardy!’ viewer,” Davies said in a statement.
Jennings will start the season in September, and host the first Second Chance competition and the Tournament of Champions featuring past winners such as Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach and Ryan Long. Bialik will host “Celebrity Jeopardy!” on ABC in prime time in the meantime, Davies said. Then, she will take over regularly “Jeopardy!” in January.
Bialik will also host a couple of new tournaments, as well as the “Jeopardy!” National College Championship.
Jennings is the record-holder for the longest “Jeopardy!” winning streak, while Bialik is an actress known for her work on the “Big Bang Theory” and “Call me Kat.” She also has a Ph.D in neuroscience.
“Jeopardy!” has used a series of guests to host the 2020-2021 season after the death of the beloved Alex Trebek. Executive producer Mike Richards was initially tapped to replace Trebek. but was fired after controversy over sexist comments he made on his podcast.
“Mayim and Ken are both extraordinarily talented and simply lovely humans. They support the staff and each other. They love and respect this institution of a television program. In return, the staff and I are honored to work alongside them,” Davies said.
Other announcements Davies made Wednesday included the creation of an “Inside Jeopardy!” podcast and the creation of daily three-minute highlight reels recapping that day’s episode on the show’s website and social media.