Jeopardy! makers to announce the new host soon as ratings falls post Alex's death

Popular American TV show Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek died in November 2020 from pancreatic cancer, and the ratings for the show have been bleak. Although the makers are rotating the guest hosts, it seems like that it is not helping them much. And, now, the executive producer and recent guest host Mike Richards has said that the heads of Sony Entertainment will soon have to make a decision.

Mike shared these details during the Wall Street Journal's podcast, The Journal. He said that when the filming for Season 38 starts this summer, the next official host will be at the helm. Mike also added that the choice will be announced in late July or early August. However, Richards added that the Jeopardy! executives plan on making an informed decision since they are a "pretty cerebral group". He also explained that fan input will have an effect on further planning. 

Jeopardy! rating report

As The Wrap reported, during the CNN host's first-week guest-hosting, ratings fell to a 5.1 rating, which pushed Jeopardy! out of the top game show slot after "Family Feud" drew a 5.5 rating. The report added that this placed Cooper's performance behind fellow guest hosts Dr Oz and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose debut ratings were 5.2 and 5.6, respectively.  As of now, Ken Jennings is the highest-rated guest host with a 6.2 rating in his first week.  

Meanwhile, the late host's farewell week in early January drew an average of a 6.6 rating and his final episode on January 8 drew 14 million viewers. Several of the guest hosts include Buzzy Cohen, Mayim Bialik, Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and George Stephanopoulos. On the other hand, Dr. Oz and Ken Jennings have caused varying levels of outrage from fans. Jennings became the target of online criticism when his "unartful and insensitive" tweets resurfaced. Meanwhile, for Dr. Oz, some Jeopardy! fans began using the hashtag #BoycottJeopardy. 

For now, CBS' Bill Whitaker is serving as guest host. Upcoming guest hosts include Good Morning America co-hosts Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos. They will be hosting separate weeks. CNBC host David Faber and FOX News sports commentator Joe Buck, and LeVar Burton will be other hosts.

IMAGE: JEOPARDY! IG