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NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers prepared “intensely” for his “Jeopardy!” guest hosting role in hopes of landing the gig after host Alex Trebek’s death, a former producer said.
Show executives decided to test several guest hosts in 2021 to find a replacement for Trebek and better gauge audience interest. Rodgers was the fifth host and began his two-week stint in April.
“Aaron Rodgers was definitely the most prepared,” former producer Mike Richards told People magazine. “I was blown away by that, the intensity with which he prepared and he was so lovely to all the staff.”
But ultimately, Richards worried that Rodgers’ other “pretty high-level” career would present him with challenges as host of “Jeopardy!” permanently.
“I thought, ‘How are you going to solve this with football scheduling?’ He said, ‘You’ll find out!'” Richards said.
Rodgers “really wanted the job” because he was a personal fan of the game show. Won “Celebrity Danger!” in 2015, defeating “Shark Tank” panelist Kevin O’Leary and Senator Mark Kelly.
“I think there’s a lot of nostalgia involved in this show for me because I used to watch it when I was a kid,” Rodgers said in a “Danger!” interview in 2021.
“It’s been a staple in my house, whether I watch it live or recorded. I think probably 90% of my TiVo is wrapped up in ‘Jeopardy!’ episodes,” Rodgers joked.