James Holzhauer Takes Swipe at Jeopardy!’s Post-Alex Trebek Host Debacle

In the wake of Wheel of Fortune‘s swift hosting announcement, Jeopardy! champion James Holzhauer is biting the hand that feeds him.

The former contestant, who won 32 consecutive games and became the inaugural champ of Jeopardy! Masters, took to Twitter Tuesday to take jabs at Jeopardy!‘s indecisive and long-winded journey toward replacing the late Alex Trebek.

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“Wheel of Fortune went about this all wrong,” he wrote. “First, you subject the contestants and viewers to an endless parade of temps who don’t prepare before hosting. Then, the producer in charge of the search says, ‘Actually, *I* would be the perfect host.’ Then, ‘jk, we have two hosts now.’”

A quick refresher on Jeopardy!‘s succession plan-gone-awry: In the wake of Alex Trebek’s Nov. 2021 death, Sony trotted out a parade of guest hosts — current emcees Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings among them — to test the waters. However, they ultimately went in-house, naming Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards as Trebek’s full-time replacement. He lost the gig days later, though, after misogynistic, racist and anti-Semitic jokes he’d told on a podcast in the mid-2010s resurfaced online. Bialik and Jennings were brought back as temporary hosts for a year before being named permanent co-hosts.

Jeopardy!‘s hosting hoopla is a far cry from Wheel‘s prompt planning. On June 12, host Pat Sajak announced his plans to leave the show at the end of its 41st season. Rumors of Ryan Seacrest’s succession followed just a day later and ultimately became official on Tuesday, nearly one full year before Sajak’s actual exit.

“It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months,” said Sajak about his four-decade run on the series. “Many thanks to you all.”

“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said via statement. “I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them. Pat, I love the way you’ve always celebrated the contestants and made viewers at home feel at ease. I look forward to learning everything I can from you during this transition.”

Does Holzhauer have a point or should he have withheld his comment? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. 

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