When longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, 80, passed away after a long battle with cancer on November 8, 2020, fans of the game show were devastated. The biggest question for viewers and contestants, of course, was who would fill Trebek’s shoes as the new host.
Following months of guest hosts including Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton, Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik, and former champions like Ken Jennings and Buzzy Cohen, Bialik landed the job following controversy involving former Jeopardy! producer Mike Richardson.
Bialik’s tenure on the long-running game show has already given rise to some popular champions, including Amy Schneider, who won 40 games, and recent champion, Mattea Roach, who broke the win streak record for a Canadian contestant.
The current host’s future on Jeopardy is unknown at this time, however, as Ken Jennings’s recent exit from The Chase has many viewers convinced that he will be taking over full-time hosting duties next season.
Commenters immediately started weighing in on Jennings’s post. One fan wrote, “Ken you are so humble. Congrats to you and the people behind the scenes of Jeopardy! Alex would be so proud!” Someone else said, “The only comeback we’re looking for is yours!”
“Congratulations to my favorite game show and everyone involved with the show ! The best host is drumroll ……… Ken Jennings,” another posted.
“Please come back soon Ken. We miss you tremendously. Would love to see you as the permanent host,” yet another social media user weighed in.
While the permanent host has yet to be confirmed, there are, perhaps, opportunities to go around as the game show franchise expands with its first ever spinoff, Celebrity Jeopardy! debuting this fall.
“The stars of our show and Mayim and Ken have done incredible job hosting,” Jeopardy executive producer Michael Davies toldVariety. He went on:
“We hope to have a hosting announcement very, very soon. But with all of our plans for ‘Jeopardy!’ — which is more ‘Jeopardy!,’ not less, more versions — we’re going to need multiple hosts to represent the entire audience, to represent the entire country, in order to take this franchise forward.”
Davies has also previously shared details about a new tournament that could “break the Jeopardy-verse.” Davies previously shared that he “started thinking about a Second Chance Tournament almost the day I started on Jeopardy!, when Jessica Stephens beat Matt Amodio, but lost to Jonathan Fisher by just $401.”
He took to the show’s official blog to confirm that this new tournament will be happening:
…we’re actually going to do it, and slot it in right before the ToC. More details to follow, including the criteria we will be using to select the rest of the participants. To be clear, though, the eligibility time frame will be the same as for this year’s ToC: We are looking at contestants who appeared on Jeopardy! since the last Tournament of Champions who we believe deserve a second shot. I know there will be many contestants from previous years who will be howling at this point, and I do not rule out a future opportunity to compete again for some of you. But for now this is part of the postseason for this season. We are all so excited at the prospect, and we look forward to seeing some wonderful contestants again on our stage.
Who do you want to see take over permanent Jeopardy hosting duties?