‘Jeopardy!’ Guest Hosts: How Do Their Ratings Stack Up?
Jeopardy! has welcomed several new guest hosts over the past six months beginning in January and continuing throughout the rest of the summer as Season 37 reaches its conclusion.
While no one can fill the shoes of Alex Trebek, there have been some more successful guest hosts than others. Kicking off with G.O.A.T. champ Ken Jennings, the guest hosts have included reporters, athletes, actors, and more. But how do they stack up?
We’re taking a look at the ratings for all of the guest hosts so far and revealing how they compare to one another in the roundup below. See how they rank from least successful to most successful based on the ratings. (*Note: Ratings are based on live plus same day national household ratings from Nielsen per nexttv.com.)
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Savannah Guthrie (June 14 - June 25)
During the Today anchor’s appearances in the guest hosting role, she pulled in some of the show’s lowest numbers with a 4.7 rating her first week. Guthrie’s second week pulled in slightly bigger ratings with a 4.9 but not enough to make her a big hit with the Jeopardy! crowd it would seem.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta (June 28 - July 9)
Currently, Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s ratings are only reflected with the first week’s numbers, but a 4.9 puts him towards the bottom in terms of other guest hosts that have come before him. Perhaps his second week ratings could boost his average though?
Anderson Cooper (April 19 - April 30)
Following Aaron Rodgers’ success, the numbers took another dip when Anderson Cooper stepped up to the plate. During his turn in the guest-hosting gig, Cooper delivered the show’s lowest ratings with a 4.8 in his second week. His first week boasted a 5.1 rating.
Mayim Bialik (May 31 - June 11)
The Big Bang Theory‘s Mayim Bialik brought her onscreen charm and brains to the game show for an exciting run. Sadly it wasn’t enough to excite too many viewers as she began her session on the lower end of ratings with 4.9 in her first week. She raised that a little by Week 2 with a 5.1 rating.
Dr. Mehmet Oz (March 22 - April 2)
Among some of the season’s lowest ratings were Dr. Oz’s episodes which pulled in weekly ratings of 5.2 and 4.9. Considering some of the online fan chatter about his role, this drop isn’t altogether shocking.
Buzzy Cohen (May 17 - May 28)
Taking over during the Tournament of Champions, former winner Buzzy Cohen charmed viewers with his new role as guest host. He maintained a 5.1 rating over the two weeks he appeared on the show.
Bill Whitaker (May 3 - May 14)
Slightly improved over Anderson Cooper’s dip, 60 Minutes‘ anchor Bill Whitaker picked up the ratings a bit with his time served. During his two weeks with the program he delivered a solid 5.2 rating.
Katie Couric (March 8 - March 19)
Katie Couric’s run on the show marked a continued decline in ratings as her two weeks with the series brought in 5.6 and 5.3.
Aaron Rodgers (April 5 - April 16)
Green Bay Packer Aaron Rodgers stepped off the playing field and into the guest-hosting spot much to his fans’ delight. Their support for the footballer was reflected in the ratings which rose slightly over Dr. Oz, delivering a 5.6 and 5.5 rating in the two weeks he served in the position.
Mike Richards (February 22 - March 5)
Jeopardy!‘s executive producer Mike Richards maintained a somewhat stronghold over the ratings following Ken Jennings’ run. He earned a 5.9 rating in the two weeks he was in front of the camera.
Ken Jennings (January 4 - February 19)
The longtime champ was the first to step up to the plate bringing in strong ratings over his several weeks in the position. Jennings began with a 6.1 rating and pretty much maintained that throughout his episodes on the program. Among his lowest ratings was a 5.8 one week, but he departed his guest-hosting stint with 6.1.
