'Jeopardy!' and 'Wheel of Fortune' Cancel Live Audiences During Coronavirus
The sound stages of two of America's favorite game shows are about to get much quieter. Beginning today, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune will film their shows without a live audience amid concerns about the spread of Coronavirus, production sources told TMZ.
The sheer number of audience members who attend each taping was only part of the concern that led to the decision to ditch the live audience, the sources reportedly said. There were three other main reasons for the change. Firstly, the audiences for both shows are largely made up of viewers in their 60s, which are a vulnerable group in terms of contacting and succumbing to Coronavirus. Older individuals have a much higher chance of dying from corona, according to Live Science, with patients 80+ having a staggering 14.8% mortality rate.
Secondly, many audience members come from out of town, and the travel involved could potentially increase the spread of the virus. Lastly, there were concerns about exposing Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer and thus a compromised immune system from his treatments, to a large group of people who could potentially be carriers of the virus.
How long will the tapings continue without a live audience? It's unclear at this point. TMZ reports that it depends on the spread of the virus.
In the meantime, to get your gameshow fix, you can watch Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune from the comfort of your couch. And please, keep washing your hands.
