Rodgers Will Be Guest Host on ‘Jeopardy!’
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers announced on Tuesday that he’ll be a guest host on Jeopardy!
Rodgers made the announcement on The Pat McAfee Show after Tuesday’s practice. The episode will be taped during the offseason.
“We’ll be even more excited when that opportunity gets a little closer but, man, the show has been so special to mean over the years,” Rodgers told Packers beat reporters later in the day. “It’s been a staple at my house here in Green Bay for the last 16 years – 6 o’clock watching Alex (Trebek) and trying to get as many questions as I can.”
Trebek died in November after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He hosted the show for 36 years. His final episode aired Jan. 8.
A representative from the show declined comment when asked about Rodgers. “We have not made any announcements about additional guest hosts,” she wrote when asked for specifics about the episode.
“I apologize to Jeopardy if they wanted to announce it, I just got so excited on (The Pat McAfee Show) earlier,” Rodgers said.
Jeopardy! legend Ken Jennings was the show’s first guest host in an episode that aired Monday.
Rodgers – wearing a Mr. Rogers-style cardigan – was on a celebrity edition of the show in 2015 and beat astronaut Mark Kelly and businessman and Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary. Rodgers won with $8,399, a victory that earned $50,000 for his favorite charity, Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer.
“When the opportunity came up in 2015, that was a dream come true, it really was, to be on there,” Rodgers recalled. “To get to meet Alex was just such a special moment. We’re all obviously sad about his passing. There’s this nostalgic connection to certain figures in our life based on our childhood and where we were at and the times we had those memories. It almost makes these people feel like family, like you know them.
“For me, it wasn’t just Alex. It was when I did a college production meeting with the legendary Keith Jackson and Dan Fouts. Those were guys I grew up watching on TV and hearing their voice and knowing what that voice was, that was really special. I grew up watching Pat Summerall and John Madden. My first production with John Madden, you can imagine how exciting that was for me to be able to be sitting across from a guy who I feel like I know, I feel like he’s a part of my viewing family. So, that was really special. And Alex, obviously, being one of those people, as well, just watching him for so many years and we all have so much love and affection I think for what he’s meant for that half hour, that 22 minutes of our lives on a daily basis for those of us who were big fans of the show. So, to be able to be a guest host is really, really special for me and I can’t wait for the opportunity.”
Update
On Wednesday, Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards announced the guest-hosting lineup. From the announcement:
Katie Couric, Aaron Rodgers, Bill Whitaker, and Mayim Bialik will each take their turn at the iconic Jeopardy! lectern this season. As a part of each guest host’s appearance, a donation will be made to a charity of their choice. The amount donated will equal the cumulative winnings of the contestants that compete during the weeks they serve as guest host.
“Alex was a legend, revered by all of us,” said Richards. “I want to thank our guest hosts, who will not only help all of us celebrate his great legacy, but also bring their own touch to the show.”
Iconic Journalist and New York Times Best-Selling Author Katie Couric is scheduled to be the first-ever female Host of America’s Favorite Quiz Show™. Couric is the Founder of Katie Couric Media (KCM), which collaborates with global brands to create premium content such as Wake-Up Call daily newsletter, documentaries, digital series and podcasts on important social and cultural issues.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a Super Bowl MVP and nine-time NFL Pro Bowl selection. Over the course of his career Rodgers has established himself as one of the NFL’s leading quarterbacks. He is also a Celebrity JEOPARDY! champion, after competing on the program in 2015.
Bill Whitaker has been a correspondent for “60 Minutes” since March of 2014. In four decades as a journalist he has covered major news stories domestically and across the globe for CBS News. He is the 2018 winner of the RTDNA's highest honor, the Paul White Award for career achievement.
Acclaimed actress, author, host and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik is most recently known for her award-winning role as Amy Farrah Fowler on the hit CBS comedy, “The Big Bang Theory.” Currently, Bialik is starring in “Call Me Kat” on Fox which she also executive produces. Outside of the realm of television, she also recently launched her podcast on mental health titled “Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown.”
