'Jeopardy!' Fans Weigh in on Ken Jennings Stepping Into Alex Trebek's Role as Interim Host
11/23/2020 11:20 pm EST
After Jennings got the job, he assured fans he can never really replace Trebek. "There will only ever be one Alex Trebek, but I'm honored to be helping Jeopardy! out with this in January," he tweeted.
Trebek died on Nov. 8 at age 80, following a battle with prostate cancer. After his death, Jennings said Trebek was not "just the best ever at what he did," but also a "lovely and deeply decent man." Jennings was "grateful for every minute I got to spend with him," he wrote, adding, "Thinking today about his family and his Jeopardy! family - which, in a way, including millions of us."
Before the 2019-2020 Jeopardy! season began, the show hired him as a consulting producer and asked him to introduce special video clues. This was thought to be a tryout for Jennings if Trebek retired. Richards insisted this was not the case and they were not trying to push Trebek towards retirement.
In an exclusive interview with PopCulture, Jennings said he was surprised the show wanted him to return after the Greatest of All Time tournament. "The day the last show aired on ABC, I got a call from the Jeopardy! producers and he said, 'Ken, I never called a contestant in 20-odd years of producing this show because of all the legal regulations around the contestants. You gotta keep them separated. But we've been talking, and if you're really retired, would you like to come aboard?'" Jennings explained. "It was the most flattering thing ever."
One person suggested Will Ferrell should step in as a guest host, in a not to the hilarious Saturday Night Live "Celebrity Jeopardy!" sketches. Another Twitter user said that should only happen if Darrell Hammond can make an appearance as Sean Connery.
Another Twitter user said they would only accept Jennings as host if it was Trebek's "dying wish" because there are other options out there. Thousands of fans had suggested Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton to host.
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