The future of Jeopardy! is once again in doubt. The powers that be are set to announce the show’s future host soon. Will Ken Jennings or Mayim Bialik become the permanent host? Or could fan favorite Buzzy Cohen nab the lectern from out of nowhere? Inquiring fans have some clues they believe prove Cohen is returning to Jeopardy!.
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Who Is Buzzy Cohen?
For those who do not know, Cohen is a beloved former Jeopardy! Contestant. He won $164,603 over nine games in 2016, becoming a super champion before that was common. His humor and sarcasm helped ingratiate him with the public. He won another $250,000 in the 2017 Tournament of Champions and remains closely associated with Jeopardy! to this day.
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When host Alex Trebek passed in 2020, Cohen was selected as one of the guest hosts. He was given a substantially more important assignment than the likes of Joe Buck and Bialik however: he hosted the 2021 Tournament of Champions. The high-profile assignment made him a popular choice to become the permanent host. He was passed over in favor of Mike Richards, then for Jennings and Bialik.
Fans Think Cohen Is Coming Back
Jeopardy! fans are pretty hardcore, so it comes as no surprise that some detective work is afoot. A rumor is making the rounds that Cohen could officially join Jeopardy! once again as one of its hosts moving forward.
There are three signs Cohen is coming aboard. First, his ongoing commitment to The Chase feels rather light. Cohen replaced Jennings on the ABC game show, but he’s only appeared on two of eight episodes so far. Season two ran for 18 episodes so Cohen could certainly have a run in the season’s second half, but it seems like his commitment to the show isn’t too strenuous.
The second and third huge signs, per Reddit, come from Cohen’s Twitter page. He posts cryptic tweets from time to time, and some have cited an unannounced future project. Cohen’s clearly working on something, so maybe it’s new Jeopardy!.
The real smoking gun comes from a joke posted on July 11. OneEclecticMom is a popular Twitter personality who rates the fashion of Jeopardy! contestants and hosts. She’s well-known to fans, contestants, and the shows producers. Michael Davies replaced Mike Richards as the executive producer of Jeopardy!, and invited OneEclecticMom to a show taping. Cohen decided to chime in.
“What if Buzzy also went shopping with you,” Cohen responded. This could easily be a joke, and it probably is, but Cohen may have just let it slip out that he’s physically around Jeopardy! again.
Probably Is Not Happening
This theory certainly has its holes. Cohen wanting to buy clothes feels more like his brand and sense of humor, and he’s contractually obligated to The Chase for at least the rest of the season. Only time will tell if he joins Jennings and Bialik or if the show moves in a different direction. An announcement should be made ahead of season 39.