Answer in the form of a question, please: This veteran journalist and cancer-awareness advocate is becoming the first woman to guest host “Jeopardy.”
Who is Katie Couric, of course. The former “Today” fixture will take up the podium of the famed show for two weeks, from March 8 through 19.
After the retirement and subsequent passing of longtime host Alex Trebek, a series of co-hosts was selected to fill in, Couric among them. In addition to her, other notable women like fellow journalist Savannah Guthrie and actress Mayim Bialik will also host, as well as notable men like Dr. Sanjay Gupta and NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
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A donation equal to the amount of money won by contestants during a given host’s tenure will be made to the charity of their choosing. For Couric, that money will go to cancer research organization Stand Up to Cancer, which she co-founded. She is also the founder of media company Katie Couric Media.
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“Alex was a legend, revered by all of us,” Mike Richards, the show’s executive producer, was quoted as saying. He added that guest hosts are not auditioning for the role, but rather, trying to “honor Alex. This is not a host competition. This is [a group of] people who love this game, and their respect for Alex is off the charts.”
A more permanent replacement for Trebek is expected to be announced later this year.
This isn’t Couric’s first historic hosting gig — in 2006, she became the first woman to ever anchor an evening news broadcast on her own, for CBS News.
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