One of the most entertaining — and polarizing — contestants in “Jeopardy!” history is returning to the game on Monday.
But Buzzy Cohen, who Alex Trebek dubbed “Mr. Personality” in 2016, won’t be a contestant this time. Instead of wagering all of his money on Daily Doubles and coming up with witty responses during the Final Jeopardy round, Cohen is stepping in as host of the “Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions” from May 17-28.
Cohen, a music executive from Los Angeles, won nine games in 2016 and came from behind to win the “Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions” in 2017. His upcoming appearance as guest host renders him ineligible to compete on the show in the future, according to a “Jeopardy!” news release.
- “Buzzy has been where each of these champions is, so we think it’ll be comforting for the contestants to see a familiar face behind the lectern,” Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards said in a statement. “We will miss seeing him compete, but we look forward to seeing how he uses his quick wit and personality as guest host.”
‘Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions’ to honor Brayden Smith
The upcoming tournament will feature 15 “Jeopardy!” contestants who won the most games between the last “Tournament of Champions” in 2019 and the end of 2020, according to the news release.
The upcoming tournament will honor Brayden Smith. Smith, a 24-year-old recent champion who earned a spot in the upcoming tournament, died in February 2021 due to complications from surgery. His obituary mentions how excited he was to compete in the tournament.
- “These people are sort of my trivia idols and to know that I’m going to be on the same metaphorical and literal stage that they were on is really something special,” Smith previously said during a “Jeopardy!” interview. “‘Jeopardy!’” is so much better than anything I could’ve even imagined. Every moment since I last was on the studio lot has been a moment that I’ve been wanting to get back on there.”
“Jeopardy!” will acknowledge Smith’s absence during the tournament, according to the news release.
What happens during the ‘Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions’?
Over 10 days, the 15 contestants will compete for the $250,000 grand prize.
The quarterfinal round will last for five days, with three contestants competing each day. The winner of each game — plus the four non-winners with the highest scores — will then advance to the semifinals from May 24-26. The three players who win the semifinals will then face off in a two-day championship from May 27-28.
“Jeopardy!” will match the $250,000 grand prize and donate it to the Hope of the Valley Trebek Center for the Homeless, according to the news release. The initial funding for the new facility came from a $500,000 donation from Alex Trebek and his wife, Jean. That donation was made shortly before Trebek’s death on Nov. 8, 2020, the Deseret News reported.
What happens after the ‘Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions’?
After the “Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions” airs, actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik — well-known for her role as Amy Farrah Fowler in “The Big Bang Theory” — will host the show from May 31 through June 11.
Savanna Guthrie, an anchor for NBC News’ “Today,” will then host “Jeopardy!” from June 14-25, followed by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, who will host from June 28-July 9.