It was revealed in July that Jennings and Bialik would be signing new Jeopardy! contracts after sharing the duties as interim hosts of the show for much of Season 38. They replace beloved host Alex Trebek, who passed away in November 2020.

As the two gear up for the September debut of Season 39, they visited the Inside Jeopardy! podcast, where they spoke with host Sarah Whitcomb Foss about the joys and challenges of standing at the lectern in the age of social media.

“It’s very exciting and especially exciting to get to share this honor and this platform with Ken, who is such a legend,” Bialik said. “And it’s very exciting. It’s overwhelming, but in a good way.”

“I’m just such a fan of the show,” added Jennings, who holds the record as the top Jeopardy! player of all time with a 74-game win streak. “To this day, I still feel like a fan. I wouldn’t be the person I am without all the Jeopardy! I watched as a kid.

“And then of course it changed my life in a big way 20 years ago. It’s just an honor to be associated with the show in any way. And now with Mayim—double the perks.”

However, the presenters admitted that they have been well aware of the criticism that has been leveled at them during their time on the show.

“We’re still people, so I can’t say that when you hear things that are constructive criticism that you don’t start thinking a little bit too much about it,” said Bialik. “But, I don’t know, I kind of take everybody’s opinion both with a grain of salt and also believe everybody has a right to their opinion.”

For Jennings, the backlash came early, when he saw that some people were “sick of” him in the earlier stages of his run as a Jeopardy! contestant back in 2004.

“Even as a contestant, I remember being shocked at how free—it was the early days of the internet, but people were still very much like, ‘Oh, I’m sick of this guy already.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, there’s like three more months [of me]… This guy’s gonna have a bad summer!’

“I just kind of had to dissociate. You know what, Jeopardy! has got such a big, diverse audience. You’re not going to be able to please everybody every night. But I think that’s the virtue of having a couple hosts. You know, it’s a big, diverse audience and maybe that helps broaden the tent. It’s a matter of taste hosting style.”

Showing where her own preferences lie, Bialik quipped to Jennings: “I like you much better than I like myself!”

“Oh, likewise!” Jennings responded.

In June, Bialik spoke about being on the receiving end of harsh comments from some Jeopardy! fans before being announced as a permanent host.

Speaking with Justin Long on an episode of her podcast, Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown, the TV personality revealed that viewers often compare her to Jennings.

Actor and comedian Long broached the subject, when he asked Bialik if she was ever made aware that she was favored over Jennings by Jeopardy! fans.

“Sometimes,” Bialik responded, adding that “sometimes I get, ‘We don’t prefer you to Ken.’”

Noting how celebrities are often seen, Long said: “Isn’t that wild—well, it’s probably the only profession that I can think of, or maybe politicians—where people will tell you deeply insulting things but with a big smile?”

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

In announcing the presenting posts, Jeopardy! executive producer Michael Davies wrote on the show’s website that Jennings will host the upcoming Season 39 from its September debut—including Second Chance and Tournament of Champions—until December.

Bialik, who will take over from Jennings in January, will also host Celebrity Jeopardy! on ABC in primetime.

Davies explained that “the current plan is to have her host a couple of new tournaments as well as the Jeopardy! National College Championship and as many weeks as she can manage with her other primetime commitment to Call Me Kat.

“We know you value consistency, so we will not flip flop the hosts constantly and will keep you informed about the hosting schedule.”

Davies also noted: “The show is considerably up in viewership year over year, with more than 27 [million] viewers tuning in each week this season. When you consider that almost every other show in broadcast television and syndication is declining, this has been a quite remarkable season: we’re the most-watched entertainment show on all of television. Yes, all of television.”