Aaron Rodgers’ Run As ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Led To A Significant Spike In The Show’s Ratings

Aaron Rodgers’s two-week-long reign as Jeopardy!’s guest host may have officially come to an end on April 16, but the Green Bay Packers quarterback still has reason to celebrate his run behind the podium. As The Wrap reports, Rodgers led ABC to a viewership victory with a 5.6 household rating—up 14 percent from the previous guest host (Dr. Oz).

While Rodgers couldn’t best Jeopardy! GOAT Ken Jennings, who scored a 6.2 rating during the first of his two-week guest host gig, the Super Bowl XLV MVP brought a much-needed boost—both in ratings and host likability—after Dr. Mehmet Oz’s disastrous turn at the helm of the beloved game show. Though some fans were initially skeptical about how Rodgers might fare, especially following on the heels of TV veterans like Jennings and Katie Couric, his everyman appeal worked in his favor. Rodgers endeared himself to viewers when he showed off the Post-it notes he had stuck to the podium, which he had written to remind himself to “Slow Down,” Relax,” and “Stand Up Straight.” Jeopardy! producer Mike Richards (who followed Jennings as a guest host) even said that Rodgers could have a successful second chapter as a host. But what viewers seemed to enjoy most about Rodgers was that he wasn’t Dr. Oz.

Even before Oz had uttered his first “The answer is…,” Jeopardy! fans began protesting the so-called health expert’s attempt to fill Alex Trebek’s shoes. Oz, who began his career making guest appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, has spent the past 20 years peddling pseudoscience, including making baseless claims about the benefits of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. In fact, a 2014 study claimed that half of all Dr. Oz’s medical advice was wrong. More than 600 former contestants signed a petition objecting to Oz’s guest stint. Though the complaints weren’t enough to prevent Oz’s gig from going forward, his lack of popularity was apparent in his ratings. The only accolade his 5.2 household rating earned him was Least Watched Guest Host.

As for Rodgers: His hosting days are over, at least for the moment—but who knows what the future holds. For now, CNN’s Anderson Cooper will be in the Jeopardy! host’s chair until April 30.