Yes, LeVar Burton Is Finally a 'Jeopardy!' Guest Host — Here's the Full Line-Up

Shannon Raphael - Author
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Apr. 21 2021, Updated 7:19 p.m. ET

Jeopardy guest hosts
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Most fans can agree that Alex Trebek left an indelible impact as the host of Jeopardy!, and that nobody will be able to fully fill the void that he left behind. 

The host, who joined the trivia show in 1984, passed away on Nov. 8, 2020, after a battle with Stage IV pancreatic cancer. Like the legend he was, he continued filming episodes in the weeks leading up to his death. 

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An official replacement for Alex has not been announced, and it will likely be some time until that happens. Until then, a lineup of guest hosts has been revealed, and it includes some surprising additions. 

Keep reading for the confirmed Jeopardy! fill-in hosts.

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Source: Instagram

1. Ken Jennings

For years, many have speculated about Ken Jennings as the likely successor to Alex's position. After all, he's played the game many times, and he clinched the Greatest of All Time title at the beginning of 2020.

It's unclear if Ken's stint as the guest host is a trial run of sorts, or if he'll go back to his clue-reading role. On Jan. 11, Ken took his first turn behind the hosting podium. He got emotional when discussing Alex's legacy, and viewers all around the world could relate.

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"Sharing this stage with Alex Trebek was one of the greatest honors of my life. Not many things in life are perfect, but Alex did this job pretty much perfectly for more than 36 years, and it was even better up close. We were dazzled by his intelligence, his charm, his grace," the trivia whiz shared. 

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"Like all Jeopardy! fans, I miss Alex very much and I thank him for everything he did for all of us. Let's be totally clear: No one will ever replace the great Alex Trebek," Ken continued. "But we can honor him by playing the game he loved."

While Ken's role on the show has been confirmed for some time now, and he was an obvious choice, the others are a bit more surprising. Ken's time as host ran from Jan. 11 to Feb. 19.

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2. Katie Couric

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Source: Instagram

The former Today anchor is one of the guest hosts. The LA Times reported that the journalist would take over a full week of episodes. According to a press release, Katie, along with all of the other guest hosts, received a donation totaling the cumulative winnings of the contestants that competed during each guest host’s respective week, to be given to the host's charity of choice.

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Katie has also appeared on the program before, though in a different capacity. She has sporadically read out the clue videos in the past, but this was her first time hosting the series. Katie hosted from March 8 to March 19.

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3. Dr. Oz

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Mehmet Oz — better known as television's Dr. Oz — also hosted the show. Some fans were quite perplexed by this decision, as Dr. Oz has been at the center of numerous controversies like promoting questionable weight-loss drugs and his tendency to promote pseudoscience. It's definitely a weird pick, but we'll admit we were curious to see how he'd do on the show. He hosted from March 22 to April 2.

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4. Aaron Rodgers

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Source: Getty images

Though the quarterback is still aiming for a Super Bowl appearance, he did do a guest run on Jeopardy! when the Packers' season was officially over.

He confirmed his spot on the show during his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Jan. 12. The NFL star shared that he's been a longtime fan of the game show and of Alex himself.

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"One of my idols growing up was Alex Trebek ... They're doing some guest-hosting spots," he said. "It's going to be released here very soon, but I had the opportunity to be one of those ... I'm excited about the opportunity."

It wasn't Aaron's first time on the show, however. He played in a celebrity charity tournament in 2015, and he won $50,000. 

Aaron hosted from April 5 to April 16.

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5. Anderson Cooper

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Source: getty images

Television journalist Anderson Cooper is also taking a turn on the Jeopardy! stage. The new gig will certainly keep him busy, considering he's also the lead anchor of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360°, a correspondent for 60 Minutes on CBS News, and a father to 1-year-old son Wyatt.

Anderson is hosting from April 19 to April 30.

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6. Bill Whitaker

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The 60 Minutes correspondent will have a turn as a guest host as well. Bill has been a reporter for CBS News for the past 37 years. This journalism vet could certainly teach the contestants a thing or two.

 Bill is hosting from May 3 to May 14.

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7. Buzzy Cohen

Jeopardy! fans look forward to the Tournament of Champions every year, and this year, it will run from May 17 to May 28 and be hosted by former champ Austin David "Buzzy" Cohen. Buzzy won $164,603 over the course of nine games, but he later returned to the show for the Tournament of Champions in 2017 and won, taking home the grand prize of $250,000. He was also a team captain during 2019's All-Star Games.

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Buzzy is a controversial figure in the Jeopardy! world, as he was known to often win runaways. Because he was typically so far ahead by the time Final Jeopardy rolled around, instead of answering the question, he would write down snappy responses, like "Who is 'You aren't rid of me yet, Trebek?'" His witty responses won him praise from some, while others deemed him smug.

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8. Mayim Bialik

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Source: getty images

This actress fits right in on the Jeopardy! stage. The Big Bang Theory star may have been a child actress, but she took time away from the limelight to earn a B.S., followed by a Ph.D., in neuroscience. These days, in addition to her time on Jeopardy!, you can also catch Mayim on Call Me Kat.

Mayim is hosting from May 31 to June 11.

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9. Savannah Guthrie

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Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie is no stranger to the spotlight, but this will mark her first time on the Jeopardy! stage. She's been working in broadcasting for more than 20 years and is also an attorney — in fact, when she took the Arizona Bar Exam, she got the best score out of all 634 participants that year. We have a feeling she'll do just fine reading the Jeopardy! answers while guest-hosting.

Savannah will host from June 14 to June 25.

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10. Dr. Sanjay Gupta

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Dr. Sanjay Gupta is another doctor whom you may recognize from television. He's been a frequent contributor on CNN throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and even hosts a weekly coronavirus town hall with fellow Jeopardy! guest host Anderson Cooper. In addition to his many television appearances, Dr. Gupta has written four books and published a column in Time Magazine.

Dr. Gupta is hosting from June 28 to July 9.

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11. George Stephanopoulos

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Source: getty images

Anchor George Stephanopoulos will also get a turn hosting Jeopardy!. Though George is known today as Good Morning America's co-anchor and as the host of ABC's This Week, he initially got his start working on Michael Dukakis' 1988 presidential campaign. He would later become the de facto press secretary during President Bill Clinton's first term. After leaving the White House following the end of President Clinton's first term, George became a political analyst for ABC News.

George is hosting from July 12 to July 16.

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12. Robin Roberts

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George's co-anchor Robin Roberts certainly is no stranger to our TV screens. After being a sportscaster for ESPN for 15 years, Robin made her way over to Good Morning America. After starting out as a featured reporter, she moved into the position of co-anchor, where she remains today.

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In addition to being in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, Robin also has won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, and Radio Television Digital News Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award, among several others. 

Robin is hosting from July 19 to July 23.

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13. LeVar Burton

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Jeopardy! fans have been campaigning for a while for LeVar Burton to take over as the show's host. While he may not be the permanent host (yet), he will be taking on guest-hosting duties. For many, LeVar is best known as the host and executive producer of the long-running children's show Reading Rainbow. Others may know him for his more dramatic roles as Kunta Kinte in Roots or Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation and other Star Trek properties.

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LeVar is also known for his voice-acting work. He narrated and appeared in additional roles in Captain Planet and the Planeteers and voiced several characters in Transformers: Rescue Bots. He's also appeared as himself in sitcoms like Big Bang Theory and Community.

LeVar is hosting from July 16 to July 30.

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14. David Faber

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Source: CNBC

Another journalist taking the reins, David Faber can be seen over on CNBC's morning show Squawk on the Street, where he serves as co-host. The Peabody Award-winning financial journalist has been a part of CNBC since 1993, after initially working for the Institutional Investor.

David is hosting from Aug. 2 to Aug. 6.

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15. Joe Buck

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Like Robin, another sportscaster is hitting the podium. Joe Buck, son of sportscaster Jack Buck, is best known for his work with Fox Sports, where he's been since 1994. Just two years after he started with the company, he became FOX's lead play-by-play voice for the MLB. Joe is a seven-time Sports Emmy Winner and a three-time winner of the NSMA National Sportscaster of the Year.

Joe is hosting from Aug. 9 to Aug. 13.

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In addition to the celebrity hosts, Executive Producer Mike Richards also took a turn at hosting. He was the interim host for two weeks, after Ken's run at hosting.

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