Ever since beloved "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek died in November 2020 from pancreatic cancer,
fans have been wondering who could possibly fill his shoes.
Trebek's incredible career spanned 36 years and more than 8,200 episodes of "Jeopardy!",
a daunting legacy to live up to for the next host who steps behind the podium.
Since Trebek's death, "Jeopardy!" has subbed in guest hosts like Green Bay Packers quarterback
Aaron Rodgers, Dr. Oz, and former champion Ken Jennings.
It's more than just a way to buy time as the search for a permanent new host continues.
According to a "Jeopardy!" producer, the guest host spots are essentially tryouts.
Speaking about the process in April 2021, executive producer Mike Richards told Entertainment
Weekly,
"We're gonna look at ...people that are credible giving the clues, people that can actually
give the clues accurately, that are going to be able to rule right or wrong on the responses,
and that 'Jeopardy!' fans will enjoy in that role, but that will not try to make themselves
the star, and will work to make the contestants and the game the star."
"'Jeopardy!' is an incredibly important American institution.
It's about making people that are smart the most important people in the room."
But which host is up for the task permanently?
Like many other people, Ken Jennings has some thoughts on the matter.
Not every guest host of "Jeopardy!" received a seal of approval from audiences, and some
— like Dr. Oz — were even met with outright hostility.
Some fans called for a temporary boycott when they learned that Dr. Oz would be hosting,
while a group of more than 600 former contestants even penned an open letter in protest.
That letter read in part,
"Dr. Oz stands in opposition to everything that 'Jeopardy!' stands for.
[...] Throughout his nearly two decades on television he has used his authority as a
doctor to push harmful ideas onto the American public, in stark contrast with his oath to
first do no harm."
That part of the letter alluded to Dr. Oz's alleged history of inaccurate statements and
reputation for plugging useless or even dangerous treatments on his show.
Other guest hosts like Aaron Rodgers and Ken Jennings fared much better with viewers.
USA Today ranked Jennings third on the list of best hosts, commending him for being a,
quote, "comforting, familiar presence who got the job done."
Jennings was the first replacement to host after Alex Trebek's death and served for six
weeks before bidding fans farewell via Twitter.
Jennings wrote on February 19,
"That's a wrap on my six weeks of @Jeopardy guest hosting.
Thanks for watching, thanks for your patience with a tough learning curve...and, as always,
thank you Alex."
Fans flooded his post with well wishes, some even going as far as to hope that he gets
the full-time hosting gig.
But what does Jennings himself think about the future of "Jeopardy!"?
"I would really love one more crack at this.
I really want to win this."
Ken Jennings is arguably "Jeopardy!"'s most successful contestant of all time, having
set the record for the longest winning streak in the game's history and netting $2.5 million
in the process.
He also won the series' "Greatest of All Time" tournament in 2020, but do these accolades
as a contestant qualify him to host?
And besides all that, would Jennings even want the job?
In June, Jennings appeared on air with WGN Chicago and played coy about gunning for the
gig, though he admitted a decision about the show's future is likely imminent.
When asked about the potential of being the next "Jeopardy!" host, Jennings said that
he had no idea if that would be the case, but he expected an announcement over the course
of summer 2021.
"I've heard they want to have a new permanent host lined up for next year and of course,
they start shooting those shows during the summer."
He also made sure to praise his fellow guest hosts, adding,
"Everybody's got a different spin on it and the show still works a lot of different ways
which is really great."
Ken Jennings initially skirted around the idea of being the permanent host of "Jeopardy!"
but towards the end of his interview with WGN Radio in Chicago, he finally made his
true feelings known.
He let listeners know that he's keeping his "fingers crossed" for the job, though what
happens next is anyone's guess.
Until then, Jennings is busy with his new ABC show "The Chase," a quiz show in which
a team of three contestants face off in trivia matchups against formidable opponents known
as Chasers.
Ken Jennings and fellow "Jeopardy!" winners James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter.
The self-professed game show nerd has also authored multiple books about trivia, helms
a twice-weekly podcast called "Omnibus" with John Roderick, and spends time fielding fans'
tough trivia queries.
As one of the winningest contestants in "Jeopardy!" history, a hosting gig would be an organic
fit and a dream come true for Jennings.
At least, now we finally know that he really wants the job.
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