Following the passing of legendary host Alex Trebek, “Jeopardy!” had a lineup of guest hosts to fill in the position. The show’s producers invited various famous personalities to host the game show, and each of them brought their unique style and flair to the job. The Nielsen ratings measured the audience numbers for each of these guest hosts and ranked them accordingly.
Ken Jennings, who holds the record for the longest winning streak in “Jeopardy!” history, took the top spot with an average rating of 6.2 million viewers during his six-week hosting stint. However, the highest-rated single episode was actually hosted by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, with 9.85 million viewers.
Other notable guest hosts included news anchor Anderson Cooper, who had an average rating of 5.8 million viewers, and actress Mayim Bialik, who had an average of 5.6 million viewers. Some of the lower-rated guest hosts included Savannah Guthrie, who had an average of 5.2 million viewers, and George Stephanopoulos, who had an average of 4.9 million viewers.
Despite the mixed results, the guest host lineup was generally well-received by fans and critics alike. It provided an opportunity for the audience to see different personalities bring their unique style to the show, while also giving the producers a chance to test out potential permanent hosts.
Here are the official Nielsen ratings for each of the Jeopardy guest hosts, ranked from highest to lowest:
- Ken Jennings – 6.2
- Mike Richards – 5.9
- Aaron Rodgers – 5.6
- Anderson Cooper – 5.1
- Mayim Bialik – 5.0
- Dr. Oz – 4.9
- Savannah Guthrie – 4.8
- Sanjay Gupta – 4.4
- Bill Whitaker – 4.3
- Buzzy Cohen – 4.2
- Joe Buck – 4.1
- George Stephanopoulos – 3.6
- Robin Roberts – 3.5
- David Faber – 3.3
- LeVar Burton – 3.2
- Joe Buck (second stint) – 3.1
It’s worth noting that Ken Jennings was not only the highest-rated guest host, but also the first to take on the role after the passing of Alex Trebek. Mike Richards, who was initially chosen as the permanent replacement but later stepped down due to controversy, came in a close second. Other notable rankings include Anderson Cooper, who was widely praised for his hosting abilities, and LeVar Burton, who had been a fan-favorite to take over the role permanently.
Moreover, it’s important to note that these ratings reflect only the guest host’s individual run, and do not take into account overall viewership trends or the impact of specific episodes or events. However, they do provide some insight into which guest hosts resonated most with audiences during their time on the show.
