George Stephanopoulos To Guest Host “Jeopardy!”

Starting Monday, July 12, ABC news anchor George Stephanopoulos will be guest hosting the ultra-popular, long-running game show “Jeopardy!”

“Jeopardy!” Guest Hosts So Far

After the death of legendary host Alex Trebek on November 8, 2020, “Jeopardy!” has had trouble filling the iconic role he filled over the decades.

“Jeopardy!” champion Ken Jennings was originally tapped to host the long-running game show. Since then, guest hosts have come on the show for brief stints ranging from two weeks to about a month.

Actress and scientist Mayim Bialik has also hosted the show. News correspondents Anderson Cooper and Katie Couric also hosted “Jeopardy!” in early 2021.

George Stephanopoulos on “Jeopardy!” Appearance

Stephanopoulos is incredibly excited to take up the hosting reins for a while. He will be a guest host on the show from July 12 to July 16.

The Greek-American news personality told fans, “this is really such an honor to have the chance to come and guest host. Like everyone else, I grew up with ‘Jeopardy!'”

Though he is no stranger to working on camera, Stephanopoulos admitted he was a little intimidated with this latest undertaking. Mostly because Alex Trebek, who hosted the show for 37 years, was such a beloved and trusted household name.

However, Stephanopoulos said that a piece of advice Trebek gave contestants on the show for years actually helped calm his own nerves.

According to Stephanopoulos, “it was the advice that Alex Trebek gave everyone every day when he talked about ‘Jeopardy’! ‘This is about the game, remember that first and foremost,’ and I think that really does get to the heart of the job.”

Upcoming guest hosts after Stephanopoulos include Levar Burton, Robin Roberts, and David Faber.

Guest Hosts Support Charities

By appearing on the show, each guest host is also getting the opportunity to help support a cause near and dear to their hearts. During each host’s stint, “Jeopardy!” has pledged to match all contestant winnings and donate them to a charity of the guest host’s choice.

As of July 9, 2021, guest hosts on “Jeopardy!” have managed to help raise over $2.14 million dollars for a variety of different causes.

Stephanopoulos has chosen the charity “Share Our Strength.” The non-profit organization seeks to help end hunger and poverty, especially among children. “Share Our Strength” is a movement that helps provide 1 billion meals to children living in hunger and dire poverty, both in the US and abroad.

Besides his work with charities and on “Good Morning America,” Stephanopoulos has also continued to conduct impressive interviews as a journalist in the last year. In March of 2021,  he was just the second person to interview newly-elected President Joe Biden. Stephanopoulos asked Biden at length about his COVID-19 relief plan and plans for dealing with the pandemic in the US in general in that interview.