Mayim Bialik Wants to Be Permanent 'Jeopardy!' Host: 'It's a Dream Job'
Mayim Bialik is the latest in a long line of celebrities to fill the very big shoes of the late Alex Trebek and guest hosts Jeopardy!
And the actress, 45, has admitted that she "cried" after filing her episodes on the show-and would jump at the chance to take on the "dream job" permanently.
The Big Bang Theory star Bialik shot her 10 episodes, which started airing on Monday, over the course of two days—joining a host of famous faces who have stepped in to helm the syndicated quiz show since Trebek's death in November.
In an interview with USA Today, Bialik admitted she's still awestruck at having been given the opportunity—and she hopes it's the start of a new career.
"I lost my mind, and really am still losing my mind,' she said of her experience on the set. "This is one of the most iconic things that I can be part of in my life.
"Of all the things I've done, of all the acting I've done, of all the advocacy I've done, and all my academic things, this is the most globally understood, absolutely incredible thing to be part of. It's unbelievable."
The California native, who holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience, went on: "[M]y experience of actually filming was so incredibly gratifying, and I don't really know how to explain it other than to say it really felt like being home.
"It felt like these are my people, the way that the show is run, the way that that we understand the material and how to move through this show... it was terrific. I cried. I cried after my two days there. I didn't want to leave."
When asked if she wants the job full-time, Bialik responded: "There's not any answer that doesn't include yes! Look, I'm on social media, I see what happens.
"I... was really honored to be part of it in any way. But obviously feel very strongly that if people find me tolerable, this is a dream job."
Bialik follows a number of guest hosts, including Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings, NFL athlete Aaron Rodgers, and veteran TV journalists Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, and Bill Whitaker.
She will be followed by Savannah Guthrie, while Buzzy Cohen, Sanjay Gupta, George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, LeVar Burton, David Faber, and Joe Buck are among those who have also signed up.
Earlier this month, executive producer and showrunner Mike Richards confirmed that a decision on the new host will be made before the next season begins taping this summer.
"You want to make an informed decision," Richards said on The Journal podcast. "We want to go at this with real analytics and real testing and not just go, 'Hey, how about this guy?' which is kind of how a lot of these decisions have been made historically."
Whoever lands the coveted job will represent a significant changing of the guard, as Trebek had hosted the show from its 1984 revival until his 2020 death.
Canadian-born Trebek died less than two years after he was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer.
