Alex Trebek has been hosting Jeopardy! for decades, and many would like him to continue to do so in the future. Of course, there are no illusions from Trebek about the state of his health and battle with pancreatic cancer, and the host has been candid about retiring when he thinks he can no longer perform to the best of his abilities. Jeopardy! will likely continue without him, and Trebek thinks a woman may be the next host of the trivia competition.
Alex Trebek talked about who he thought his successor would be during the primetime special What Is Jeopardy!? Alex Trebek and America’s Most Popular Quiz Show, and gave his thoughts on the person who will eventually take his place. He also offered a suggestion for the person for the job, though it should be noted the pick was partly made in jest.
Well, it’s probably going to be a woman, and she’ll have to be bright, she’ll have to have a good sense of humor…’ Uhhhh, let’s see…. Betty White! Betty White is my choice.
Betty White may be perfect to replace Alex Trebek on Jeopardy!, though one may question the game show's decision-making in replacing a 79-year-old host with a 98-year-old one. That seems to be the joke made by Trebek, who was shown giving the reply during a Q&A with a studio audience in attendance for a taping of the show. The moment got a chuckle from the audience, but also allowed Trebek to sidestep the question without signaling his thoughts on a legitimate contender for his job.
Jeopardy! executive producer Harry Friedman told TVLine that Alex Trebek has been cagey about offering his actual thoughts on a replacement, even though the staff would welcome his opinions on a successor. Despite that, Trebek has remained silent on offering his two cents, and stated that, at the end of the day, the call remains with the Jeopardy! staff. He noted:
It’s not a decision that would be up to me. And I would not make myself available to presenting an opinion. I would leave it up to the people in charge.
For now, Jeopardy! hasn't hinted who may be next in line to replace Alex Trebek. This may be due to the fact the host hasn't shown any sign of slowing down as of late, and just recently finished hosting one of the show's biggest events in a long time. Despite health problems, Trebek looks as good on television as he ever has, so, perhaps, he may actually achieve Ken Jennings' wish of hosting Jeopardy! for 1,000 years.
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