Alex Trebek Wanted a Certain Female CNN Reporter to Replace Him and The Producers Have Not Obliged: Report

A few years before his death, Alex Trebeck revealed who he wanted to take over as “Jeopardy!” host, though the producers seem to have other ideas. In an interview on “OBJECTified” Alex Trebek, when asked who he would want to replace him when he left “Jeopardy! named Laura Coates as a female candidate. Coates, who is a fan of the show was astonished, tweeting:

“Incredibly honored & humbled @Jeopardy Alex Trebek 1) knows who I am 2) thinks I’d be a great host of my fave game show ever that I grew up watching w/ my family & still watch w/ my own kids (who saw him say this & now think I’m a genius) #Dyinghttp://tmz.com/2018/07/30/alex-trebek-jeopardy-replacement-alex-faust-kings-hockey/… via @TMZ“

Incredibly honored & humbled @Jeopardy Alex Trebek 1) knows who I am 2) thinks I’d be a great host of my fave game show ever that I grew up watching w/ my family & still watch w/ my own kids (who saw him say this & now think I’m a genius) #Dying https://t.co/qdMxWc9g5e via @TMZ

— Laura Coates (@thelauracoates) July 30, 2018

Sadly, Alex Trebek passed away from pancreatic cancer in late 2020, leaving the producers struggling to find a replacement. The show has gone through quite a few hosts since then, from celebrities like Mayim Balik and Dr. Oz to former “Jeopardy!” winners, such as Ken Jennings, though Laura Coates has not been one of them. Not for lack of trying, however, she reached out to the “Jeopardy!” team to ask about hosting the show but was denied.

 “I asked for the opportunity when it came time, when they were looking for people to possibly fill in. I certainly raised my hand and knocked on doors and found them closed. And I asked for the opportunity. I was told ‘no’…” Coates said in an interview on the “Tamaron Hall Show”

This comes as very strange news as the “Jeopardy!” team has struggled for a while to find a permanent host. With the one permanent host to be named being caught in a controversy after only nine days of hosting, leaving the show quickly.

After this it left “The Big Bang Theory,” actress Mayim Balik and former “Jeopardy!” all-time champion Ken Jennings to co-host the rest of season 38. Despite the obvious struggle to find a host and the endorsement by Trebeck, Coates is still being denied the ability to even audition for the role as host.