Mayim Bialik says Jeopardy! is the best job she's ever had
Mayim Bialik has "never had a better job" than hosting 'Jeopardy!'
The former 'Big Bang Theory' actress - who stars in her own sitcom 'Call Me Kat' - was originally hired to host some primetime specials and spin-off runs of the beloved quiz show before being asked to fill in as daytime presenter when Mike Richards stepped down from his role after controversial past comments he'd made resurfaced.
Reflecting on the possibility of taking on the daytime job permanently, she told Glamour magazine: "I think it's very clear. There's no other job I would rather have.
"I love my sitcom work, I do. I love all the other things I do. I love the podcast. But I absolutely have never had a better job."
The 45-year-old star is stepping in as the host until November 5, while still carrying on beyond that in her own role.
However, she would love to balance her work on 'Call Me Kat' - which will be back for a second season later this year - with being at the helm of 'Jeopardy!' full time.
She added: "Having a full-time job didn’t stop me from wanting it. But it really was after those two days that I realised I had never wanted anything more than that job.
“I’m not a person who leans deeply into intuition. I wish that I was. But this was a case where I intuitively felt something very special had happened for me in my life.
"From just those two days [taping episodes to air over two weeks]. I said to the crew, ‘I don’t want to leave. I really don’t want to leave.’ ”
Long-running 'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek passed away in November 2020 after battling cancer, and producers subsequently employed a series of guest hosts until Mike and Mayim were revealed as presenters last month, and the actress recently admitted she can feel the late presenter's "presence" on set.
She said: "It probably sounds crazy, but you definitely feel Alex's presence on that stage.
"As someone who didn't necessarily grow up with the constant presence of Alex in my living room, I feel him everywhere on that stage and I get to work with people who for decades worked so closely with him and whom he called friends. That's what feels really special."
