‘Jeopardy!’: Mayim Bialik Talks About Being Compared to Ken Jennings

Martin Holmes June 29, 2022, 10:22 am

Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings — Jeopardy!

Mayim Bialik has opened up about being compared to her fellow Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings, including “deeply insulting” comments she receives from the show’s viewers..

The Call Me Kat star touched on the topic during a recent episode of her podcast Bialik Breakdown, where she chatted with actor Justin Long about the feedback she gets from Jeopardy! fans. Long asked the Big Bang Theory alum if viewers ever say they prefer her to Jennings to become the next permanent host. “Sometimes,” Bialik replied. “Sometimes I get ‘We don’t prefer you to Ken.’”

“Isn’t that wild?” Long responded. “Well, it’s the only profession that I can think of — where people will tell you deeply insulting things but with a big smile?”

Bialik agreed, explaining that “[People will tell you] exactly how they feel. Like ‘I saw you in a magazine. I was very confused. You looked pretty.’ I get that a lot.”

“Oh, jeez,” Long replied. “This sounds like I’m bragging but…” he continued before Bialik interjected with, “You’re better looking in person?”

“Yes, that’s a tough one because then you think, ‘Well, what do I care what you look like?’ That means to millions of other people I’m worse looking,” Long added.

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Last week, Bialik announced that she’d tested positive for COVID-19 and was at home recovering. “I’m feeling a whole bunch of regret that I ever took my mask off ever in the world, like even outside,” she said in an Instagram video. “I’ve still been pretty careful… I’m just putting this out there. I’m feeling a lot of fear. Why did I ever go out? Why did I think that anything was fine ever?”

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