After the death of Alex Trebek, Sony Pictures Entertainment has announced Ken Jennings as the interim host of the popular game show. Jennings is a former contestant who holds the all-time record for games won.
“Though a long-term replacement host will not be named at this time, Jeopardy! will return to the studio with a series of interim guest hosts from within the Jeopardy! family, starting with Ken Jennings,” Sony said in a statement.
Earlier this year, Jennings claimed the title of Jeopardy!’s “Greatest of All Time” in an epic prime-time event; he also holds the all-time records for most consecutive games won (74) and highest winnings in regular-season play ($2,520,700). Additional guest hosts will be announced in the weeks ahead.
“Alex believed in the importance of Jeopardy! and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him,” said Jeopardy! 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.”
Jeopardy! also announced an update to its broadcast schedule: in memory of Alex, the show will air 10 of his best episodes in the weeks of Dec. 21 and Dec. 28, 2020. Due to anticipated preemptions around Christmas and New Year’s, Alex’s last week of episodes will now air the week of Jan. 4, 2021, in order to give his millions of fans a chance to see his final appearances. The first week of guest-hosted shows will air the week of Jan. 11, 2021.