Anderson Cooper, Betty White & Others Are Among Contenders To Replace Alex Trebek On 'Jeopardy!'

Nov 13, 2020

With Alex Trebek's passing last Sunday, a large hole is left in the entertainment industry. The highly popular game show host has touched millions of lives across America and has left behind an incredible legacy for others to follow. So who is worthy enough to replace Alex Trebek? The list of contenders reportedly includes Anderson Cooper and Betty White among other notable celebrities.

Alex Trebek is cherished not just in America but the world over for his game show hosting skills. In fact, the show Jeopardy! is essentially synonymous with his name. After all, hosting a highly popular game show for decades with the skill, charm, and intelligence that Trebek exudes is no easy feat, even though he may have made it seem so. 

So the question still remains: who is going to replace Trebek on Jeopardy! now? Before he passed away at the age of 80 on November 8th this year, Trebek himself had picked someone he thought worthy enough out. 

Speaking with reporters at an appearance at New York's 92nd Street Y center in 2019, Trebek said,

“It’s probably going to be a woman, somebody younger, somebody bright, somebody personable, somebody with a great sense of humor, so I nominated Betty White," reports USA Today.

Other than the "younger" part, Betty White is most certainly an incredible contender! She will be turning 99 years old on January 17, 2021 — which shows Trebek's sense of humor as well as sheds light on his friendship with the multiple Emmy Award winner. In an interview with the New York Post in 2018, Betty White also said, "I happen to have a huge crush on the host, Alex Trebek." 

While Betty White certainly does have her share of achievements in hosting game shows herself, with her role as a staple panelist on game shows such as Hollywood Squares, Password, and Match Game. She has even been dubbed "the first lady of game shows", and became the first woman ever to win a Daytime Emmy for her hosting for Just Men! She is most definitely qualified to be a contender, wouldn't you say?

Another important contender seems to be Emmy Award-winning journalist Anderson Cooper who is known for his incredible work on his show Anderson 360°. Currently aged 53 years old, he has long television experience and has a unique charm that many other contenders may lack. 

Moreover, he was reportedly in discussion with Sony Television Pictures, who are also the distributors of Jeopardy!, to become a possible replacement for Alex Trebek in 2014 once Trebek would retire. This became apparent when Sony was hacked that year and the e-mail exchange about this became public, reports The New York Post. At the time, Anderson seemed very interested in taking the position, but his current feelings about it are not yet known. 

Some other contenders include Tom Bergeron, who himself is one of the most well-known game show hosts in America, with a long track record of hosting America's Funniest Home Videos, and most recently hosted iconic show Dancing With The Stars before parting ways with the producers earlier this year. 

Another serious contender is Ken Jennings, who is the highest-earning American game show contestant ever, because of his close association to Jeopardy! In fact, he won $1 million as the winner of the special Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time earlier this year. He has a vast knowledge of Jeopardy, which when paired with the fact that he has reportedly signed on with the show as a producer this season and has presented categories in pre-taped segments, means that he could possibly be the next host-in-the-making. 

A few other celebrities that may also be in the running include Alex Faust, LeVar Burton, and Laura Coates, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. However, until an official announcement is made, we can only speculate who will take on the hefty task of hosting one of America's most beloved game shows. Whoever it may be, we wish them the very best. After all, they have some very big shoes to fill!

Who do you think the next person to host Jeopardy! could be? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to share this with your friends and family! Maybe they also have someone in mind who could help the show to go on.