Ratings for “Jeopardy!” tanked in its first week under guest host Anderson Cooper.
The facts: The first half of the CNN anchor’s stint on the iconic quiz show saw a 7% decline from the week prior, which was helmed by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, The Wrap reported.
- Cooper’s 5.1 first-week rating was worse than Dr. Mehmet Oz’s first week hosting the show.
- All-time “Jeopardy!” champ Ken Jennings has pulled the highest guest host ratings to date, averaging a 6.2.
- Even Jennings’ score is a significant ratings decline from the 6.6 of long-time host Alex Trebek’s farewell week.
Context: The rotation of 16 guest hosts has served as a combined stopgap and talent search following Trebek’s Nov. 2020 death.
- The show’s executive producer, Mike Richards, told the Wall Street Journal on April 30 that the start of the 38th season in July or August will feature Trebek’s permanent replacement.
- While invited guest hosts have included sportscaster Joe Buck, news anchor Katie Couric, and “Star Trek” actor LeVar Burton, some bookmakers have suggested another replacement — former President Donald Trump, who famously feuded with CNN throughout his presidency.
