‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Honors Alex Trebek With Daily Double Response

Jeopardy! has been filled with tributes to Alex Trebek since the beloved host’s death in November. During Monday’s episode, new guest host Anderson Cooper shared a nod to the legendary game show host, while one of the contestants included a heartwarming mention during the game. Cooper, a CNN anchor, will guest host Jeopardy! for the next two weeks.

During the second segment of Monday’s game, contestant Mike picked an $800 clue, which turned out to be a Daily Double. “I’ve always wanted to say this, and no deference to you,” Mike said as he turned to Cooper. “But let’s make it a true Daily Double, Alex.” Cooper did not mind at all, adding, “Nice, well said.” The Trebek tribute must have brought Mike some good luck because he had the correct response for the clue.

Before Monday’s episode kicked off, Cooper reflected on Trebek’s legacy and shared a tribute to the master television personality. “To be on this stage where Alex Trebek hosted Jeopardy! with such grace and intelligence for so long is really amazing and is very humbling,” the Anderson Cooper 360 anchor said. Cooper, 53, noted that he has been a fan of Jeopardy! and Trebek since high school. He also reminded the audience that he took part in two Celebrity Jeopardy Tournaments, even though he “lost very badly twice.”

Cooper will be raising money for Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti, a group that helps residents of the Artibonite Valley in Haiti with medical care. All previous guest hosts have picked their favorite charities, and the donations are determined by the cumulative winnings of all contestants during a host’s two-week tenure. Cooper is taking over from Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers. The next hosts are Bill Whitaker (May 3-14), Mayim Bialik (May 31-June 11), Savannah Guthrie (June 14-25), and Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Fox Sports commentator Joe Buck is expected to host episodes in the summer, although Jeopardy! producers have not officially announced this.

“The great thing about Jeopardy is the game kind of runs itself,” former Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings, who was the first guest host, told CNN. “If you watch Alex, he had this light touch where he would do, you know, sometimes the least possible. He would kind of take himself out of the spotlight and very generously put it on the players. And I found that the more you could do that, ‘Jeopardy’ kind of runs itself.” Jennings’ main advice for Cooper was “less is more.”