ENTERTAINMENTAnderson Cooper Takes Over As 'Jeopardy!' Guest Host — And Son Wyatt Watches TV For The First Time To Cheer Him On
CNN's Anderson Cooper has started his two-week stint as a guest host on Jeopardy!, taking over the game from football pro Aaron Rodgers.
"To be on this stage where Alex Trebek hosted Jeopardy! with such grace and intelligence for so long is really amazing and is very humbling," Cooper said. "I've been a fan of Alex and Jeopardy! since high school, I've competed four times on Celebrity Jeopardy!. I've won twice and I lost very badly twice but getting to guest host these next two weeks, raise money for good causes and pay tribute to Alex is really an honor. I miss him and I know we all do."
Cooper will be raising money for Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti, which is an organization that helps residents of Haiti's Artibonite Valley get medical care, during his time on the game show.
"I rarely get nervous, but I definitely was the first moment I stood behind Alex Trebek’s podium. It was a great honor and very moving for me," Cooper admitted before his first episode aired on Monday, April 19.
Cooper then revealed that his son, Wyatt, watched him on TV for the first time on Jeopardy!.
"Wyatt has never watched tv before, and he wont again for a long time, but apparently he caught a bit of me on @Jeopardy!" Cooper shared on Instagram with a sweet snap of the tot.
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"Just watched! Fantastic job! 👏👏" one fan wrote in the comments.
"Anderson, you are the best!!!!👏👏👏👏 Wyatt is adorable!!!" another gushed, while a third said: "I was so happy to see you host!!!!"
Cooper will host until April 30 before 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker takes over. Also slated to appear as guest host are Buzzy Cohen, Mayim Bialik, Savannah Guthrie and Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
The New York Post reported over the weekend that Joe Buck, who is best known as the voice of the World Series for Fox, will get a shot at hosting Jeopardy! during the summer.
Meanwhile, there is a Change.org petition, which has received more than 244,000 signatures, for LeVar Burton to join the roster.
As for who will stand behind the podium full-time, Ken Jennings and Dr. Oz, who have already completed their guest-hosting "seem to be the top contenders, and they've been trading potshots and snarky comments behind the scenes," an OK! insider spilled. A permanent replacement for Trebek has yet to be selected.
Jennings "is the fan-favorite, but producers are on the fence about him because of his unfortunate social media comments," the source explained. "And Dr. Oz still thinks he has a fighting chance, even though many viewers want him out."
The source added, "This rivalry is only going to get uglier until producers make up their minds and pick someone."
