The Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik will be the temporary new host of Jeopardy! as the show attempts to recover from recent controversy.
Mayim will step in for three weeks as she is currently on hiatus from filming Fox comedy Call Me Kat, a remake of British comedy Miranda.
The decision to have her takeover for three weeks comes as Mike Richards has stepped down - only days into filming new episodes - amid a series of scandals including offensive comments made on his podcast from 2013-2014 and prior discrimination lawsuits.
MORE: What The Big Bang Theory cast looked like at the start of their careers
WATCH: Savannah Guthrie praises late Alex Trebek as she wraps Jeopardy hosting
It was previously alleged thay Mayim was a top choice to host the daytime syndicated series but filming for her comedy became a scheduling issue.
However the 45-year-old, who was previously announced as the host for Jeopardy's primetime specials, is reportedly keen to make both work and take on a "larger" role in the popular quiz show.
She will now film 15 episodes across three weeks as Sony Pictures Television continues the hunt for a new host since the passing of Alex Trebek in late 2020.
Mayim starred in The Big Bang Theory
The long-time host died peacefully at home after a 20-month battle with stage IV pancreatic cancer.
The show had a series of guest hosts including Mayim, Ken Jennings, Savannah Guthrie and Robin Roberts.
But show bosses settled on Mike Richards, an unknown face and name who was an executive producer behind the scenes.
Alex passed away in late 2020
Mike released a statement after stepping down, which read: "It pains me that these past incidents and comments have cast such a shadow on Jeopardy! as we look to start a new chapter.
"Over the last several days it has become clear that moving forward as host would be too much of a distraction for our fans and not the right move for the show. As such, I will be stepping down as host effective immediately."
Read more HELLO! US stories here
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
