Jeopardy! announced that Ken Jennings will be the first interim host for the game show when it returns to the studio after Thanksgiving.
“Alex believed in the importance of Jeopardy! and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him,” Executive Producer Mike Richards said in a statement. “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.”
In a tweet, Jeopardy! said additional guest hosts will be announced later on.
We will resume production on 11/30 with a series of interim guest hosts from the Jeopardy! family – starting with Ken Jennings. Additional guest hosts to be announced. pic.twitter.com/0MdGqnzp3R
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) November 23, 2020
In January, Jennings won the “Greatest of All Time” Jeopardy! tournament series. He holds all-time records for most consecutive games won, with 74, and the highest winnings in a regular season, racking up $2,520,700.
The show said a long-term replacement for Trebek has not been named. Before Jennings’s hosting debut, starting Jan. 11, the show will air “10 of [Trebek’s] best episodes” after Christmas. Trebek’s final week of episodes will air the week of Jan. 4.
Trebek hosted Jeopardy! since 1984 before he died of pancreatic cancer earlier this month. He was 80 years old. As host, he won five Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding game show host and received a Peabody Award for “encouraging, celebrating, and rewarding knowledge.”
