Alex Trebek Wouldn’t Have Wanted ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Controversy
When Alex Trebek died, it seemed Jeopardy! had his replacement already lined up with Mike Richards. However, things from Mike’s past prevented him from taking the role, and soon it went to Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik. Then, Mayim was forced out, and the controversies never stopped until Ken was the last man standing.
With that said, Ken spoke about all this and said that Alex never would have wanted any of it to happen. Here is what Ken had to say.
Jeopardy! Struggled To Find Alex Trebek’s Replacement
When Alex Trebek died in 2020, Ken Jennings had a chance to host the show and did a good job. However, then-executive-producer Mike Richards wanted the job and tabbed himself as the replacement. He never got the chance, since some bad things from his past were brought up online, and he had to pull his name out of the running.
Mike ended up inviting several celebrities to host the show, including Levar Burton, who was a fan favorite. However, the show ended up deciding to hire two new hosts. Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik both took the job and split duties, with each taking on different parts of the season and different roles on the spinoffs.
Things were not easy, though, and it seemed the show wanted to pick one or the other. When Bialik took the side of the striking writers and refused to work while they were on strike, the game show made its move. It didn’t invite her back and made Ken Jennings the new full-time Jeopardy! host. However, Ken says this was not something that Alex would have approved of.
Ken Jennings Talks Alex Trebek’s Wishes For Jeopardy!
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Ken Jennings talked about the entire hosting carousel and the controversy that went on behind the scenes when it came to who would replace Alex Trebek on the show.
“You have to think Alex would not have loved [the emphasis on multiple hosts],” Ken said. “People did see a bunch of different styles hosting Jeopardy!, and they realized, ‘Oh, if it’s Ken this week and it’s Mayim next week, it’s still Jeopardy!.’ The show can survive not being the force of personality of one lovely man.”
Ken also admitted that the fans could see that the show was great no matter what. He also said that seeing all the different hosts trying to make it work showed how great Alex Trebek was at his job, doing it all on his own for decades.
What are your thoughts on the entire hosting mess that followed Alex Trebek’s death on Jeopardy!? Do you think the show ended up finding the right person in the end? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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