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Alex Trebek’s ‘Jeopardy!’ Replacement: Meet the Potential New Hosts

The new host of “Jeopardy!” is going to have some big shoes to fill. With the passing of Alex Trebek, there’s been some speculation as to who will step in to fill the now-empty role.

A list put together by the New York Post points out some frontrunners as the replacement for the iconic game show. These show host guesses range from public figures to broadcasters and even past show winners. Furthermore, none of these names were officially put forth by the show.

1. George Stephanopoulos

The Greek broadcaster does have the job in his sights. However, George Stephanopoulos is saying that he’s not “actively” pursuing the job. But his team is!

2. Betty White

The iconic actress has always had a keen eye for the game show, but more so for its host. Alex Trebek even jokingly nominated Betty White to take his role.

“I joke with the audience all the time and I say, ‘Betty White,’ because they want somebody younger, somebody funnier,” Trebek said on “Good Morning America” in July.

Trebek even alluded to being replaced by a woman, but he would like that woman to be White. “When people ask me who I’d like to see replace me, I say, ‘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,” he told TVLine.

3. Ken Jennings

The winningest “Jeopardy!” contestant of all time is already involved in the show. As a matter of fact, it’s fans that are speculating that his role as a consulting producer and brand ambassador is just a stepping stone for Ken Jennings.

He is one of the most famous contestants of all time, especially since he’s written books on the topic of trivia.

4. Alex Faust

Alex Faust’s name has been thrown in the mix. The LA Kings hockey announcer came up during a 2018 interview with TMZ. Trebek said that they should consider him as his replacement.

5. Laura Coates

CNN’s Laura Coates name was also mentioned to Trebek before his passing in the 2018 TMZ interview. She seems to have a special connection with the pop icon. Coates shared this tweet regarding Trebek’s passing.

Alex Trebek Didn’t Want to Pick Replacement, This is Why

Alex Trebek didn’t want to say who would take over his legacy. He made that very clear to “Jeopardy!” executive producer, Mike Richards.

Richards told Entertainment Tonight, “He never mentioned names to us. He really wanted to be the host of the show, while he was the host of the show,” Richards explains. “So we didn’t say, ‘Hey, what about this person? What about that person?’ It was his show until he told us he was going to retire and, amazingly, he never did. I think that’s a blessing.”

Furthermore, the EP continues to say that Trebek didn’t get specific about the eventual replacement, but he did have an opinion on what makes a great “Jeopardy!” host.

“Typical Alex. He was self-deprecating [and] said, ‘It’s not that hard.’ Let me tell you that it is maybe the hardest show on TV to host; 61 clues in 22 minutes, accents, pronunciations, scoring, calling on people, ruling on the answers,” Richards says. “He talked a lot about how it needs to be someone that the audience will respect, that’s believable in the role [and] has credibility… He was so smart that you bought it because you knew he knew the answer, too.”

The legendary game show host passed away on Nov. 8 from pancreatic cancer. Alex Trebek was 80 years old.