Katie Couric Has Some Surprising Picks To Be The Next Jeopardy Host

In November 2020, beloved Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek passed away "peacefully at home" following his battle with pancreatic cancer, per an announcement from the show. Even though he was sick, Trebek refused to stop filming Jeopardy. In fact, Jeopardy! episodes he had already filmed are still airing as of this writing. At this point, the future of the show is not entirely clear, but CTV News confirmed that the show's January 2021 episodes will have guest hosts in Trebek's role, including past winner Ken Jennings. 

Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards stated, "Alex believed in the importance of Jeopardy! and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him." Richards explained, "We will honor Alex's legacy by continuing to produce the game he loved with smart contestants and challenging clues. By bringing in familiar guest hosts for the foreseeable future, our goal is to create a sense of community and continuity for our viewers." It is fair to presume that the episodes with interim hosts will also serve as auditions for a more permanent host.

In the meantime, Katie Couric, who knows more than a thing or two about hosting, shared her suggestions for who should follow in Trebek's footsteps.

In December 2020, Page Six shared a clip from Jalen Rose's interview with Katie Couric on his Renaissance Man podcast, where Rose asked Couric to name her favorite comedian. Couric couldn't narrow it down to just one person, sharing, "I do love all the late-night hosts. I'm a big fan of Jimmy Kimmel's and Stephen Colbert, and I like Jimmy Fallon too. And, I love Sam B, and can I tell you, I'm starting, Trevor Noah. I really appreciate Trevor Noah. I love Issa Rae. I love the Broad City girls."

When she was asked about possible Jeopardy! hosts, Couric initially said, "I don't know" and asked Rose the same question back. Then, she told him, "How about Chris Rock?" Rose approved of her suggestion. After, Couric added, "I think Jimmy Kimmel would be really good too," explaining that "he's kind of like an 'every man.'" Couric elaborated, "I think he's funny and I think he's got such a big heart. You know? So, I think those two."

After some additional thinking, Couric asked, "How about a woman though? What woman could replace Alex Trebek?" When Rose mentioned Queen Latifah, Couric said, "Queen Latifah would be good! Tina Fey? Tina Fey would be good, yeah? I think Queen or Tina!" That's quite the eclectic list, but they're all great choices. Fans will have to wait and see if the Jeopardy! production team takes any of Couric's suggestions into consideration.