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Alex Trebek’s Pick for ‘Jeopardy!’ Successor Says Producers Shut Her Down

Trebek had named CNN anchor Laura Coates as one of two potential heirs he’d like to see take over the show.

Let’s meet today’s Jeopardy!-related scandal. CNN legal analyst Laura Coates said Monday that producers of the embattled game show rejected her offer to guest-host after Alex Trebek’s death—despite the fact Trebek had named her as a possible successor. “I asked for the opportunity when it came time when they were looking for people to possibly fill in. I certainly raised my hand and knocked on doors and found them closed,” she told Tamron Hall. “I was told ‘no,’ which is one of those moments when you have to remember to wear your own jersey.” Trebek floated Coates and sportscaster Alex Faust as two potential heirs in a 2018 interview with TMZ. “I was thrilled when he said my name,” she told Hall on Monday, “and I thought, ‘Oh, my God, this person that I have watched my whole life, really, even knows my name—let alone thinks that I would be worthy enough to fill his shoes, which frankly can’t be filled.’” Actor Mayim Bialik and previous contestant Ken Jennings currently share hosting duties.