'Jeopardy!' Reportedly Taps Katie Couric as 2nd Interim Host Following Alex Trebek's Death

01/07/2021 12:31 pm EST

Jeopardy! has reportedly tapped Katie Couric as the second interim host following Alex Trebek's death. According to The Wrap, the iconic journalist will step in following Ken Jennings' run as the first interim host. At this time, the outlet notes that neither representatives for Jeopardy! or for Couric returned a request for comment.

Trebek died on Nov. 8, after fighting stage 4 pancreatic cancer for more than a year. In a statement the same day, Jeopardy! producers confirmed the tragic news. "Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends," read a tweet on the show's official Twitter page. "Thank you, Alex." It was later revealed that Jennings, fresh off being crowned the show's all-time greatest player, would fill in as an interim host for a series of episodes.

In a statement, Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards spoke out about the show continuing, and explained that this is what Trebek wanted. "Alex believed in the importance of Jeopardy! and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him," he wrote. Richards then added that other interim hosts would be brought in. "We will honor Alex's legacy by continuing to produce the game he loved with smart contestants and challenging clues," he said. "By bringing in familiar guest hosts for the foreseeable future, our goal is to create a sense of community and continuity for our viewers."

More recently, Richards shared about Trebek's final days on set, just before his passing. "Those final five episodes, we shot three the first day and then two the second day, and they were great," he told EW. "You'll watch them and you'll go, 'This guy's as healthy as could be. This is not a sick person at all.' He had that much willpower. We knew how much he was fighting, and that's what made the performance even more impressive."

"On the second day of taping, what would end up being his final taping and the final time he was in the studio," Richards continued, "I went to the door where [he exited] and said, 'Hey, that was the most incredible thing I've ever seen.' And he did not like to be complimented. That was kind of staring down the mouth of a great white when you'd do that, because he really didn't like that. But I had to say it, because it was the most incredible thing I'd ever seen. And he was exhausted, obviously, and he looks up and he goes, 'Thank you.'" Fans can catch Trebek's final episodes as they air this week, with the very last scheduled to air on Friday, Jan. 8.

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