Many ‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Want Buzzy Cohen as Host — Here Are 3 Reasons Why
Jeopardy!‘s 38th season is in full swing and the search for the host who’ll succeed the late Alex Trebek is still on. While Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings pinch-hit until the new face for the game show is found, many fans haven’t stopped making their wish known for former contestant and guest host Buzzy Cohen to be installed as the show’s third permanent host. Here’s why.
He’s a former ‘Jeopardy!’ champ who idolized Alex Trebek
Cohen not only won the quiz show’s Tournament of Champions contest in 2017; he also won many fans — and Trebek — over with his charismatic style. The late host even playfully assigned Cohen the tongue-in-cheek nickname of “Mr. Personality.”
After Trebek’s death in 2020, Cohen wrote in a column for The Washington Post about his memories of the man who had helmed Jeopardy! for almost four decades.
“With his wisdom and grace, he always recognized that while we contestants were guests on his show, he was also a guest in our big, once-in-a-lifetime moment,” Cohen wrote. “He treated that moment with respect but also knew how to make us all relax, laugh, and enjoy the ride. Part of what made “Jeopardy!” special was it felt like Trebek always rooted for the contestants and wanted them to excel — even the ones playing from the sofa.”
He’s humble
Cohen opened up in the column about dealing with a negative self-image and the role the show played in giving him a much-needed boost.
“My stint on the show would transform the way I saw myself,” he wrote. “I won nine games over two tape days — something that, to me, was extraordinary. I had reached an elite tier of contestants on the show I’d grown up watching religiously, one the general public saw as the high bar of quiz shows. That moment gave me one of my most useful tools in subsequent moments of doubt. Now, whenever I want to tell myself I’m worthless, there’s that little voice in my head that reminds me of my time on “Jeopardy!” It says, ‘Hey, you did this, and it was pretty amazing.’”
Cohen’s shown he can do the job and do it more than well
Buzzy Cohen wasn’t just a show champ; he was also a guest host for the 2021 Tournament of Champions games. And his appearance got lots of fans campaigning for Cohen to be named the show’s new face. His hosting style has been called “relaxed,” “fabulous,” and “the best choice.”
NBC journalist Josh Mankiewicz of Dateline chimed in with a tweet in response to a Newsweek article entitled, “Buzzy Cohen emerges as unlikely Jeopardy! host frontrunner,” saying: “Why unlikely? He’s been great.”
Fans on Instagram also supported a Cohen-led Jeopardy! “I love how Buzzy carried himself on the show. Perfect blend of respect for the tradition but with a modern touch,” said one fan after Cohen’s two-week run in May.
Another added, “With no doubt in my mind, Buzzy Cohen should be the permanent host of Jeopardy! He’s smart, funny, associated with the show, personable, well-spoken, and, maybe most importantly, seems very comfortable (natural) in the role of Jeopardy! host, something easier said than done.”
By the time a new host has been announced, it will have been well over a year past Trebek’s death. We’ll have to wait to see if Cohen gets the consideration for the job that his fans clearly feel he deserves.
