Episodes of Anderson Cooper serving as guest host of “Jeopardy!” have just started airing. And the CNN anchor talked about his experience on the popular game show during a recent episode of his show. That show, of course, is “Full Circle.”
During the episode, Cooper points out that his stint as a guest host of “Jeopardy!” comes 17 years after he first appeared on the show as a contestant. While he had success on the show as a contestant, the anchor has now come to realize that hosting the show is a whole different ballgame.
“… Guest hosting was just completely different and it was really challenging,” Cooper said. “It’s super fun.”
Cooper also shared the one thing that he thought was the most difficult about his time behind the “Jeopardy!” podium on “Full Circle.” And, in doing so, he shared some advice for those guest-hosting who will soon be following in his footsteps on “Jeopardy!”
“For me, the hardest part – and this is my advice to everyone else who is going to be guest hosting in the weeks ahead – was not to get so caught up in the mechanics of the game that you actually miss out on just enjoying it. And enjoying the game, and enjoying the contestants, and the magic of the experience,” Anderson Cooper said.
The popular CNN anchor also described his time as a guest host on “Jeopardy!” as a “dream come true.” The 53-year-old said he has been a fan of the show for decades. He also said that he filmed his episodes “several weeks ago over the course of two days in Los Angeles.”
While working on the show, Cooper said he was very impressed with the people who make the show happen.
“The whole team there is extraordinary,” he added. “So many of them have been there for decades. It was really just amazing to meet everybody behind the scenes, to hear Johnny Gilbert say my name, calling me out on stage was incredible.”
Anderson Cooper Raising Funds for Not One – But Two – Charities on ‘Jeopardy!’
Like the other guests host before him – and the ones coming after – Anderson Cooper will be raising funds for charitable causes during his brief time as the host of “Jeopardy!”
However, Cooper will be raising funds for not one – but two – charitable causes. He shared details about his chosen charities during an interview shared on the show’s YouTube page. According to the anchor, one charity will get funds raised from his first week of hosting duties. The other charity will get the funds from his second week.
Cooper’s charities are the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Haiti and Justice Defenders, which serves East Africa.
The first episode of “Jeopardy!” featuring the CNN anchor as guest host will begin aired today (Monday, April 19). His final episode will air on Friday, April 30, according to the “Jeopardy!” website.
