The New Jeopardy! Host Announcement *No One* Saw Coming…

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Ever since the new Jeopardy! spinoff was announced in May 2024, fans have been wondering: Who’s hosting Pop Culture Jeopardy? We now have an answer to that question, and it’s not who people long theorized was the strongest candidate for the role.

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Who’s hosting Pop Culture Jeopardy?

Now here’s a twist no one could have guessed! Deadline is reporting that the man tapped to host the new Jeopardy! spinoff is none other than Saturday Nigth Live‘s Colin Jost. Rumors circulating about who could be the host pointed to sports commentator Katie Nolan, best known for her work at ESPN. Nolan previously competed on Celebrity Jeopardy! in 2024, where she made it to the final, but ultimately lost to Abbott Elementary star Lisa Ann Walters. The third-place finisher also toured with the game show as part of Inside Jeopardy! Live.

The Amazon Prime Video spinoff series was first announced on May 14, marking the iconic game show’s first foray into streaming. The series is described as a “brand-new twist on the classic quiz show’s ‘answer-and-question’ format that combines the academic rigor of Jeopardy! with the excitement and unpredictability of pop culture. Contestants will compete in teams of three and will “need to be experts in categories from Alternative Rock to The Avengers; Broadway to MMA; Gen Z to Zendaya as they compete in a tournament-style event for the grand prize and ultimate bragging rights.”

Colin Jost

“Colin’s sharp wit and intelligence epitomize Pop Culture Jeopardy!,” Suzanne Prete, President of Game Shows, Sony Pictures Television said about Jost. “He’s smart and quick, like our contestants, and we know he’ll be able to keep up with them while making this new series his own. We could not be happier that he is joining us for this new journey.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome the multi-talented Colin Jost as the host of Pop Culture Jeopardy!,” added Lauren Anderson, head of brand and content innovation, at Amazon MGM Studios. “Colin’s wry affability and pop culture fluency make him uniquely qualified as the perfect host for this new iteration of the beloved franchise.”

As for Jost, well, he hasn’t said many words yet. “What is: I’m excited,” he said. Knowing Jost, however, he’s sure to find many more words as this new journey starts for him. Jost is in Tahiti covering the Olympics surfing for NBC.

There’s no word yet as to whether his new hosting gig will affect his Saturday Night Live schedule. Jost has been a staff writer for the show since 2005 and co-anchor of Weekend Update since 2014.

Jeopardy! airs Mondays to Fridays at 7 p.m. on ABC.

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