Since Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek’s passing, the public has been wondering who will fill his tremendous footsteps. Next week, 74-time Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings is set to be the first in a series of guest hosts on the iconic game show. Of course, there's been the lingering question of who will follow suit after Jennings. Well, it was recently reported that a legendary newscaster will be the next guest host sometime after the Jeopardy! champ is finished with his hosting duties.
The LA Times reports that former talk show host and news anchor Katie Couric will be the next guest host, though the producers of Jeopardy! have not confirmed Katie Couric’s guest stint just yet. According to the report, Couric's stint will air sometime after Ken Jennings'. Given the newscaster’s public image and journalism background, she seems to be a good fit for the trivia-fueled game show.
Katie Couric’s Jeopardy! run will give fans, and the general public, a chance to see her on television once again. She has the distinction of hosting on three major networks – ABC, CBS and NBC. She hosted Today from 1991 to 2006 before becoming the first solo female anchor on The CBS Evening News. She later went on to host her own talk show from 2012 to 2014. Since leaving Yahoo! News in 2017, the newscaster has worked on several projects, including America Inside Out with Katie Couric for National Geographic and Unbelievable for Netflix.
Couric may be a breath of fresh air for producers after the fallout surrounding guest host Ken Jennings. While Ken Jennings seemed like the obvious choice to host after Alex Trebek’s passing, his tenure has already been marred by a bit controversy. His Twitter past came to haunt him when old, offensive tweets resurfaced, leading to an apology from the guest host.
With Katie Couric having landed a hosting spot, the door is now even more open for other notable faces to host Jeopardy!. Fans have petitioned for Star Trek’s LeVar Burton and actress Betty White (among others) to fill Alex Trebek’s shoes. Along with Ken Jennings, fans have also pushed for other Jeopardy! winners like James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter to host the series.
Despite good hosting prospects, fans and the Jeopardy! team have continued to pay tribute to Trebek. This has included some sweet behind-the-scenes stories from those who worked closely with him. Ryan Reynolds recently talked about working with the late host on one of his final episodes and honored him online.
Over the years, Katie Couric has built up a strong résumé and a has a firm reputation that helps her going into Jeopardy!. And maybe if things go right, the public might see more of her in syndication. Ken Jennings’ Jeopardy! episodes will start airing the week of January 11.
