Anderson Cooperis reminiscing on his pastJeopardy!appearances ahead of hisguest hosting gig.Last week, it was announced that Cooper will be joining the rotation of interimhosts in the wake ofAlex Trebek’s death last year — but it won’t be his first experience with the beloved game show.“I’ve been on four times, so I got to meet Alex, which was such a thrill because I’m such aJeopardy!fan,” theAnderson Cooper 360°host said onThe Ellen DeGeneres ShowWednesday.The first time he appeared onCelebrity Jeopardy!, Cooper, 53, said he tried to “cram” the night before.“I panicked the night before because I realized I need to know all this stuff. So I went online and did all this research, tried to like, cram, as though you can really cram forJeopardy!— it doesn’t really work,” he told hostEllen DeGeneres. “And I read all these blogs from formerJeopardy!champions about buzzer theory, and some sort of game theory.“The CNN anchor ended up winning, so when he found out he would be up againstCheech Marinfrom the comedy duo Cheech & Chong for his next appearance, he was feeling confident.Amanda Edwards/Getty; Kris Connor/GettyWant to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.“I got so thrilled to win the first time, and it was all for charity. When I went on the second time, I was against Cheech Marin from Cheech & Chong,” Cooper recalled. “And I got really cocky because I was like, I mean, come on, Cheech Marin … He’s been smoking a lot. The synapses can’t be really sharp.“But Marin, 74, “destroyed me,” Cooper admitted. “He’s so fast on the buzzer and he’s so smart! He knows everything.““You know what it’s like to walk into the newsroom at CNN after you’ve lost to Cheech Marin?” he added. “It doesn’t go well.“RELATED VIDEO:Wheel of FortuneHost Pat Sajak Says ‘No One Was Better’ Than the Late Alex TrebekIn addition to Cooper,Savannah Guthrie,Dr. Mehmet Oz,Dr. Sanjay Gupta,Katie Couric, Green Bay Packers quarterbackAaron Rodgers, actressMayim Bialikand journalist Bill Whitaker have all beentapped to host the quiz show.Ken Jennings, a consulting producer and one of the show’s “Greatest of All Time” champs, was the first guest host after Trebek died in November of pancreatic cancer at age 80. After Jennings' current run, executive producer Mike Richards will take on the role before the other guest hosts begin.“It’s incredible. I’m really excited,” Cooper told DeGeneres.
Anderson Cooperis reminiscing on his pastJeopardy!appearances ahead of hisguest hosting gig.
Last week, it was announced that Cooper will be joining the rotation of interimhosts in the wake ofAlex Trebek’s death last year — but it won’t be his first experience with the beloved game show.
“I’ve been on four times, so I got to meet Alex, which was such a thrill because I’m such aJeopardy!fan,” theAnderson Cooper 360°host said onThe Ellen DeGeneres ShowWednesday.
The first time he appeared onCelebrity Jeopardy!, Cooper, 53, said he tried to “cram” the night before.
“I panicked the night before because I realized I need to know all this stuff. So I went online and did all this research, tried to like, cram, as though you can really cram forJeopardy!— it doesn’t really work,” he told hostEllen DeGeneres. “And I read all these blogs from formerJeopardy!champions about buzzer theory, and some sort of game theory.”
The CNN anchor ended up winning, so when he found out he would be up againstCheech Marinfrom the comedy duo Cheech & Chong for his next appearance, he was feeling confident.
Amanda Edwards/Getty; Kris Connor/Getty
Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.
“I got so thrilled to win the first time, and it was all for charity. When I went on the second time, I was against Cheech Marin from Cheech & Chong,” Cooper recalled. “And I got really cocky because I was like, I mean, come on, Cheech Marin … He’s been smoking a lot. The synapses can’t be really sharp.”
But Marin, 74, “destroyed me,” Cooper admitted. “He’s so fast on the buzzer and he’s so smart! He knows everything.”
“You know what it’s like to walk into the newsroom at CNN after you’ve lost to Cheech Marin?” he added. “It doesn’t go well.”
RELATED VIDEO:Wheel of FortuneHost Pat Sajak Says ‘No One Was Better’ Than the Late Alex Trebek
In addition to Cooper,Savannah Guthrie,Dr. Mehmet Oz,Dr. Sanjay Gupta,Katie Couric, Green Bay Packers quarterbackAaron Rodgers, actressMayim Bialikand journalist Bill Whitaker have all beentapped to host the quiz show.
Ken Jennings, a consulting producer and one of the show’s “Greatest of All Time” champs, was the first guest host after Trebek died in November of pancreatic cancer at age 80. After Jennings' current run, executive producer Mike Richards will take on the role before the other guest hosts begin.
“It’s incredible. I’m really excited,” Cooper told DeGeneres.
source: people.com
