Ken Jennings to Host First New Episode of 'Jeopardy!' Following Death of Alex Trebek

Courtesy of Jeopardy Productions, Inc.

BY Allie GregoryPublished Nov 23, 2020

The late Alex Trebek's final episode of Jeopardy! will air on Christmas Day, and when the show returns, GOAT contestant and crowd favourite Ken Jennings is set to take his place — at least temporarily.

The show will start production again on November 30, shooting episodes that should air sometime next year. Jennings will be the first of a series of interim hosts while the Jeopardy! crew determines who will be Trebek's permanent replacement.

"Alex believed in the importance of Jeopardy! and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him," executive producer Mike Richards said in a statement.

"We will honour Alex's legacy by continuing to produce the game he loved with smart contestants and challenging clues," he added. "By bringing in familiar guest hosts for the foreseeable future, our goal is to create a sense of community and continuity for our viewers."

Previously, Jennings joined the gameshow as an on-air presenter. Back in September, he was hired to work among the Jeopardy! crew behind-the-scenes as a consulting producer, where he would go on to "assist with contestant outreach, and serve as a general ambassador for the show."

Additional guest hosts will be announced in the coming weeks. Until then, fans have been praying for their favourites to join the game show — including one fan who went as far as to launch a petition to have LeVar Burton host the long-running series.

Trebek passed away on November 8 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old. 
 

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