Top 5 Choices to Replace Alex Trebek as host of Jeopardy

As we all know, Alex Trebek is in the middle of battling pancreatic cancer, and we know he won’t host Jeopardy much longer, unfortunately.  He is rumored to retire soon so he can get his affairs in order, but if that does happen, who replaces him? They will continue to air Jeopardy as it draws in millions and has a large and steady fanbase, but they will need a new host.  So I have come up with 5 picks to replace Alex, and they are in order from my least favorite to top favorite. I also decided to list their biggest strengths and biggest weaknesses in terms of hosting Jeopardy.

Before I name my Top 5, some candidates who I like as hosts, just not for Jeopardy:
Ellen DeGeneres, Howie Mandel, Chris Harrison, Ryan Seacrest
Ellen is a good host, I just don’t like her voice for Jeopardy.  Howie fulfills the Canadian part just like Alex, but again his voice doesn’t suit the show well.  Chris Harrison would be too safe of a pick and it just wouldn’t go over well with Jeopardy fans. And Seacrest would just go over very poorly with Jeopardy fans.  His voice is perhaps too energetic for Jeopardy.

Now, my Top 5 Choices, in order:

5. Ben Bailey
Ben certainly can host a quiz show as he did in Cash Cab, which he won multiple Emmy’s for.  I found out he lives in New Jersey, so he’d have to move to Los Angeles to do Jeopardy. He has a nice sounding voice, but maybe one that doesn’t quite mesh with Jeopardy; it’s hard to say.  Also, he’d have to wear a suit on every taping of Jeopardy, which he did not have to for Cash Cab. Biggest Strengths: Quiz accumen, ability to read clues promptly and professionally Biggest Weaknesses: Lives in New Jersey, voice may not suit the show

4. Brooke Burns
Hear me out.  Brooke did very well as host of “The Chase” on GSN and she was nominated for an Emmy for her hosting on there.  Jeopardy producers would probably love to hire either a minority or female host, and Brooke fulfills one of those.  She is very good at reciting things quickly and she’s also good at making small talk with contestants, as the new Jeopardy host will have to do.  I also like the sound of her voice; I feel like it fits the show well. If she wants the job, she'll have a legitimate shot. Biggest Strengths: Ability to recite clues quickly and professionally Biggest Weaknesses: Background as C-List actress

3. Laura Coates
Apparently, this CNN news analyst was mentioned by Alex as one of his possible replacements (according to her Wikipedia).  She’s definitely got the on-air charisma and appearance down, and her voice is very professional and suits Jeopardy. She also fulfills both the minority and female host attributes.  Biggest Strengths: Fulfills minority quota, professional Biggest Weaknesses: Lack of hosting in past

2. Wayne Brady
Let me give you a list: Alex Trebek, Bob Barker, Pat Sajak, Dick Clark, Wayne Brady.  Those are the five most Emmy-nominated game show hosts of all time. The advantage Wayne has is his age, still only 47 years old.  He does have a good-sounding voice, and we know he’d be very personable with the contestants. And it doesn’t hurt to be a minority, as it’s rumored Jeopardy wants to go with a female, a minority, or both.
Biggest Strengths: Hosting accolades and background, name recognition Biggest Weaknesses: May not be considered serious enough for Jeopardy given improv background
1. Brad Rutter
Who better to replace Alex than the highest earning Jeopardy contestant all time?  According to his Wikipedia, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting and.... hosting.  He does have a really nice sounding voice, and you can’t ask for a candidate that knows the game better.  The main problem being his lack of hosting in the past and to go with him would be a bit cliche. But if I was in charge of picking Alex’s replacement, Brad is the guy who I’d go with.  It would be like the best Survivor contestant ever replacing Jeff Probst… could happen. He already has a connection with the Jeopardy fan base. Biggest Strengths: Jeopardy connection, professional-sounding voice Biggest Weaknesses: Lack of hosting in past, too safe a pick I found out Alex's contract expires in 2022, so if his health holds up he may host until then. I think any of these five people would do a decent job. Of course, it'll probably be someone that I never considered or thought of. But until then, I'm going to enjoy Alex as host for as long as I can.