The View Co-Host Who Was Denied An Audition For Jeopardy! Host
"Jeopardy!" is one of the longest-running and most popular game shows on the planet, and viewers have been watching for years. As fans of the game show surely know, Alex Trebek was at the helm of the "Jeopardy!" ship from 1984 until 2020, and his hosting gig on the series made him a household name (via ABC 7). In 2019, Trebek told viewers that he was facing the battle of his life after doctors diagnosed him with pancreatic cancer.
On November 8, 2020, Trebek died from the disease at the age of 80. The "Jeopardy!" Twitter page was one of the first outlets to share the news, writing,"Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends." While fans across the country mourned the death of Trebek, they also wondered who would be able to fill his shoes after so many years.
In July 2022, the The Washington Post reported that not one, but two people would serve as Trebek's replacements — former "Jeopardy!" contestant Ken Jennings and actor Mayim Bialik. Jennings hosts the series regularly, while Bialik is in charge of "Celebrity Jeopardy!" specials, which usually air in prime time. "We know you value consistency, so we will not flip-flop the hosts constantly and will keep you informed about the hosting schedule," executive producer Michael Davies said of the decision (via The Washington Post). As it turns out, there were a few other hopefuls who never got a shot to interview for the gig.
Sunny Hostin expressed disappointment over Jeopardy! snub
While we all know the fate of the "Jeopardy!" hosts following Alex Trebek's death, one person reportedly didn't even get a shot to audition for the gig, despite her interest. On an episode of the podcast "Just Jenny" with Jenny Hutt, "The View" co-host Sunny Hostin explained her desire to host the show while admitting that she was sadly never given a chance. "I can say this, I wanted to try out to become one of the hosts of 'Jeopardy!' I thought it was really cool. I love 'Jeopardy!'" Hostin explained. "I've competed on 'Jeopardy!'... I've lost on 'Jeopardy!'... it's like taking a bullet if you think about it."
The talk show host then elaborated further. "I wanted to try out for it, and I knew that they were trying out other people, like Robin Roberts from ABC," Hostin dished. "I knew Sara Haines, who's a co-host, has her own game show on ABC," she said, adding that they told her she was "too controversial" to host.
As of this writing, Hostin still has her chair with the ladies of "The View" and she's been at it for years. According to ABC, the former legal analyst at CNN joined the ladies of "The View" in the 20th season of the series after serving as a senior legal correspondent for ABC. In 2022, Variety reported that Hostin signed a three-year deal to remain on the panel of the hit daytime show. While she's not hurting for work, the "Jeopardy!" snub surely still burns.