After two years of COVID-19 restrictions, “Jeopardy!” announced it is finally welcoming back live audiences for Season 39 — and tickets for some of the first shows back have already sold out.
According to the show’s website, “Jeopardy!” is filming for its upcoming season as early as Aug. 2, and fans can’t help but wonder: Will “Jeopardy!” have a permanent host in place by then?
Season 37 saw 16 guest hosts come and go, and this current season — which runs through July 29 — has been a rotation between hosts Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik. Last month, the show’s executive producer, Michael Davies, said an official hosting announcement would come “very, very soon,” Variety reported.
On Thursday, a source with Sony told the Deseret News the show does “not have an update on a host announcement.”
Sony was able to confirm, however, that Jennings will return to the hosting lectern on July 18.
Will Ken Jennings be the permanent host of ‘Jeopardy!’?
Jennings, who had a legendary 74-game winning streak in 2004, returns to hosting “Jeopardy!” on July 18 and will likely finish out the show’s 38th season.
Both Jennings and Bialik have expressed interest in becoming the full-time host, the Deseret News reported. Earlier this year, fans speculated Jennings may become the host when he announced he was leaving the trivia show “The Chase.”
Shortly after winning the “Greatest of All Time” tournament in 2020, Jennings told the Deseret News that hosting the show was “absolutely a dream job.”
Jennings was the first person to host “Jeopardy!” following Alex Trebek’s death, and his debut was a huge success. During his first week, he brought in an average of 10.3 million viewers, the Deseret News reported. Of all the 16 guest hosts who filled in for the show’s 37th season, Jennings had the highest ratings.
When will ‘Jeopardy!’ announce a permanent host?
“Jeopardy!” has yet to announce a permanent host, but a decision will likely come near the end of July, when Season 38 concludes and the show gets ready to tape its upcoming season.