Just weeks after Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek passed away, Sony Pictures Television has announced that Ken Jennings will serve as the first of a series of interim guest hosts when the show continues production on November 30.
Jennings is one of the most popular Jeopardy! contestants of all time and he was the winner of the Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time tournament.
“Alex believed in the importance of Jeopardy! and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him,” said the show’s executive producer Mike Richards. “We will honor 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.”
Trebek’s last day in the studio was October 29 and he passed away from pancreatic cancer on November 8 after being diagnosed in March 2019.
While a long-term replacement host hasn’t been announced, Jennings has been a favorite to take over for Trebek. Other possible hosts are Anderson Cooper and George Stephanopoulos.
More guest hosts will be announced over the next few weeks.
Jeopardy! will be airing a selection of 10 of Trebek’s best episodes between December 21 and December 28. Trebek’s last episodes will be aired the week of January 4, 2021 and the episodes hosted by the interim hosts will start airing on January 11.
