‘Jeopardy!’ champion Ken Jennings to step in as interim host

The rumours are true. Well, sort of. When Jeopardy! resumes filming next week, GOAT champion Ken Jennings, who signed onto the series as a producer just months ago, will host. At least for now.The popular nightly quiz show revealed that Jennings will step in as the interim host for the first batch of new episodes when production resumes next week. However, the team is eyeing a series of guest hosts from within the Jeopardy! family as they plot out a longer strategy. For now, they’re holding off on naming a permanent host at all, which makes sense given the lasting legacy that Alex Trebek left behind. Whoever steps into his shoes will have a lot of people to win over, and it’s a decision that insiders have predicted might be a while coming.For now it seems like this is kind of a tryout for Jennings, who is a fan favourite in his own right. The contestant not only won the show’s Greatest of All Time primetime event earlier this year when he faced off against fellow notable champs Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer, but he also holds the all-time records for most consecutive games won (74) and has the highest cash winnings in regular-season play ($2,520,700). Even with U.S. taxes, it’s safe to say that the series has been game-changing for him.“There will only ever be one Alex Trebek, but I’m honoured to be helping Jeopardy! out with this in January,” Jennings commented on a retweet from the show, which announced the news.[video_embed id='2084083']Ken Jennings to act as interim host on 'Jeopardy!'[/video_embed]

There will only ever be one Alex Trebek, but I'm honored to be helping Jeopardy! out with this in January. https://t.co/2m2b5IQnkw

— Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) November 23, 2020

According to executive producer Mike Richards, who addressed Trebek’s wishes with a heartfelt message to fans at the top of the first show following the host’s death, it was also the late Canadian’s wish that the show continue after he was gone. “Alex believed in the importance of Jeopardy! and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him,” Richards said in a statement. “We will honour Alex’s legacy by continuing to produce the game he loved with smart contestants and challenging clues. By bringing in familiar guest hosts for the foreseeable future, our goal is to create a sense of community and continuity for our viewers.”At time of press, Richards did not reveal who else fans could expect to see behind that podium, but promised more announcements in the weeks to come. The show did reveal that the first week of guest-hosted episodes airs the week of January 11 in the New Year, and that it is also pushing Trebek’s final week as host.When Trebek passed away on November 8, production had 35 final filmed episodes of Jeopardy! ready to go. Originally, Trebek’s final installment was scheduled to air on Christmas day, kind of like a final gift from the guy who hosted the pop culture staple for 37 seasons (with and without his famous mustache). Now, in order to accommodate the holidays, the series is planning a 10-episode tribute event during the weeks of December 21 and 28, which feature some of Trebek’s best-ever episodes and moments. Then, his final week of shows will air the week of January 4, “In order to give his millions of fans a chance to see his final appearances.”Ever since 80-year-old Trebek revealed that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March 2019, fans have wondered who could possibly replace him. Jennings’ name entered the mix in September when he signed on as a consulting producer. Meanwhile, some fans have been campaigning for Star Trek: The Next Generation and Reading Rainbow star Levar Burton to land the gig, a gig that he himself seems pretty pumped about potentially landing. Other contenders whose names have been circulating on the internet in recent weeks include ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, and three-time Celebrity Jeopardy! participant/CNN host Anderson Cooper.[video_embed id='2073650']Before you go: 'Jeopardy!' executive producer takes the stage to honour Alex Trebek[/video_embed]