Jeopardy has been without a permanent host since Alex Trebek sadly passed away in 2020. Trebek stood behind the iconic game show's podium for 37 years. Following his death, someone new had to take on the hosting duties. After a slew of celebrity guest hosts, Executive Producer Michael Richards was chosen to take over, but very soon after, he stepped down due to previous controversial comments he made. Since then, Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik have been sharing the responsibilities, and while many fans appreciate the job they are doing, some have taken issue with Mayim.
Her contract, as well as Jennings', go until the end of the current season, which wraps in July. So who will take over? Mayim's TV show, Call Me Kat, just got picked up for a full season which means she might be too busy with that to host, so it seems Ken would be the frontrunner, but there is now "buzz" that there could be a dark horse candidate who steps in: former champion Buzzy Cohen.
Cohen, who won nine-games in 2016, was able to make a name for himself during that time thanks to his unique bespectacled look and his charisma. Trebek even referred to him as "Mr. Personality." He currently appears as a chaser on The Chase, but lately, he's been tweeting hints that he might be next in line to host Jeopardy.
It started last week after a game show news Twitter account tweeted, "100% prepared to be wrong but still not totally believing that the Mayim-hosts-primetime-Jeopardy thing is still here." Buzzy replied to it with a cryptic gif of Yoda saying, "No, there is another." A few days later he tweeted, "Shout out to the camera guys on [as yet unannounced project] for convincing me to get a picopresso from @wacaco_ltd - cannot wait to get this thing going!!!" The tweet came a day after another one that revealed Buzzy was in Los Angeles, where Jeopardy tapes.
That got fans talking as they attempted to figure out what the "unannounced project" could be. Fueling thoughts that it has to do with Jeopardy, @OneEclecticMom, a Twitter user who comments on every contestant's clothes and who has even been profiled by the show, wrote, "Ooh, [as yet unannounced project] is my FAVE. Can't wait for more, uh, episodes... or um, seasons?"
Buzzy is aware of the rumor mill and recently tweeted the gif from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia of Charlie Day piecing together a conspiracy with red string.
He also posted a selfie as he was getting his hair styled. It seems innocent enough, but Buzzy and Ken Jennings previously discussed at great lengths on Ken's podcast Omnibus how important hair length is to producers of Jeopardy.
As of now, no official announcement has been made about Buzzy hosting a celebrity spin-off of Jeopardy or the game show itself, but with the latest season of the show already wrapped, it is only a matter of days or weeks before it's revealed who will lead the show.