ABC News host George Stephanopoulos eyes ‘Jeopardy!’ gig: ‘It’s a great show’
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When George Stephanopoulos tires of being a newsman, he might consider a gig as a TV game-show host.
The ABC News “Good Morning America” co-anchor didn’t dismiss the idea Wednesday when radio shock jock Howard Stern suggested he become the next emcee of “Jeopardy!”
“I think it would be a lot of fun,” Stephanopoulos replied, according to the New York Post. “But I like what I’m doing too.”
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GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, CHRIS CUOMO SPUR CORONAVIRUS SOCIAL DISTANCING CONCERNS
“You’ve got the intellectual capacity,” Stern egged on during their conversation on Stern’s SiriusXM show.
Plus, Stern added, “It’s a show that wouldn’t damage your reputation. There is a certain gravitas. It’s for brighter people. It would make you look good.”
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"It’s a great show," Stephanopoulos agreed, but noted he would have "big shoes to fill."
The conversation stemmed from speculation about longtime current “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek possibly stepping down soon because of health battles, the Post reported.
Trebek, who will turn 80 in July, revealed in 2019 that he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer and is undergoing treatment. In April, he announced plans to release a memoir that will include details of his fight against the disease.
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The Massachusetts-born Stephanopoulos, 59, has had health battles of his own. In April he announced on the air that he had tested positive for the coronavirus – adding he felt “great” and wasn’t displaying any symptoms.
His disclosure came shortly after his actress wife, Ali Wentworth, announced that she had the virus.
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After he went public, Stephanopoulos faced backlash from some neighbors in the tony Hamptons area of Long Island, east of New York City, who accused him of disregarding social distancing guidelines.
Before joining ABC nearly 20 years ago, Stephanopoulos served as a senior adviser to former President Bill Clinton after working as communications director on Clinton’s 1992 campaign.