NEWS'Jeopardy!' Contestants Call For Dr. Oz To Be Removed As Guest Host, Viewers Outraged — See The Harsh Reactions
Jeopardy! fans are not happy to see Dr. Mehmet Oz start his guest-hosting stint on the show this week and made their feelings very clear on social media.
Dr. Oz will step into the game show for two weeks before Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers takes the reins beginning April 5, as Jeopardy! rotates hosts following Alex Trebek’s death. (Anderson Cooper, Savannah Guthrie, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Bill Whitaker and Mayim Bialik will follow Rodgers.) However, Dr. Oz is already not a fan favorite.
Over the years, Dr. Oz has been a controversial medical figure. In 2014, British Medical Journal released a study claiming that half of Dr. Oz’s medical advice is "baseless or wrong." Then in 2015, a group of doctors penned a letter to Columbia's dean of medicine to call the school’s partnership with Dr. Oz "unacceptable," according to Vox.
He was most recently criticized when he suggested that the reopening of schools amid the coronavirus pandemic was "appetizing" because "only" 2-3 percent more people could die of COVID-19.
"When you’ve made your career in the popular media by at best conveying confidence in unproven remedies — and at worst implicitly causing your audience to doubt the process the rest of us live by and have been at wit’s end trying to defend for a full calendar year — I’m not sure a show based around facts is the best place for you," former Jeopardy! winner Lindsey Shultz told The Ringer.
More than 500 former contestants signed an open letter on Medium to reject the 60-year-old. "Dr. Oz represents what has become a dubious trend in America: the elevation of the credentialed talking head at the expense of academic rigor and consensus," the letter claims.
"Jeopardy! is known for being incredibly rigorous; a well-deserved reputation. As contestants, we’ve all seen what happens behind the scenes if there’s any doubt about a question. We’ve seen writers and judges frantically cross-reference answers in real time to make sure that the facts are accurate. To then invite Dr. Oz to guest-host is a slap in the face to all involved."
Scroll down to see the reactions:
Not Suited To The Brand
- 'The Rivalry Is Only Going To Get Uglier': 'Fan Favorite' Ken Jennings, Dr. Oz Battling To Become The New 'Jeopardy!' Host, Says Insider
- LeVar Burton Confirmed As 'Jeopardy!' Guest Host After Fans Petitioned To Make It Happen
- Anderson Cooper Takes Over As 'Jeopardy!' Guest Host — And Son Wyatt Watches TV For The First Time To Cheer Him On
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
One user claimed that Dr. Oz would "permanently and irrevocably kill the Jeopardy brand of reliably and fact-based television," and called for him to stop filming.
'Baseless' Medical Claims
Many users brought up the study claiming that Dr. Oz had made many "baseless or wrong" medical claims.
Health In 'Jeopardy!'
"Dr. Oz is a great choice for guest host because a lot of his 'medical advice' will put your health in Jeopardy!" one viewer joked.
LeVar Burton Instead?
Several fans felt that actor LeVar Burton should have been a contender to host Jeopardy! instead.
The Least Favorite
Dr. Oz appears to have scored the least favorably out of all the guest hosts so far.
