TV Shows | May 17, 2021 08:01 PM EDT

'Jeopardy!' Warns Most Emotional Episode Yet After Alex Trebek's Death

By Alexandria Kim

"Jeopardy!" has been welcoming guest hosts to continue Alex Trebek's legacy. But among them, Buzzy Cohen managed to score the spot for the Tournament of Champions.

For months, "Jeopardy!" became home to several celebrities who served as guest hosts. The Tournament of Champions is already arriving, and yet the show has not found the perfect permanent host.

Still, the game show will push through one of the most-awaited tournaments of the game show. However, the executives warned that it would be the saddest episode yet.

First Tournament of Champions Without Alex Trebek

In an article posted by USA Today, the show's executive producer Mike Richards warned that this year's Tournament of Champions will break people's hearts.

According to Richards, everyone feels so happy to be back. Unfortunately, they need to continue even without the original host.

"You could tell from the folks that hadn't been here in two years because some of these champions have been around for a really long time. At this point, they were so happy to be back. It's the most emotional tournament of champions I think you'll see," he said.

The late host himself devised the format of the tournament which always lasts for two weeks with 10 episodes. For over 8,000 total episodes, the Tournament of Champions led the show to score the title for one of the best game shows in US history.

This year's series, though, will be different since Trebek is no longer around. The host lost his battle against Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. His passing came after he announced in March 2019 that he did not have a good prognosis.

What Will Happen on the First Episode of "Jeopardy!" 2021 Tournament of Champions

On Monday night, Cohen - who is known as "Mr. Personality" - will host the segment. This year's competition will include 15 players across the country who are all in pursuit of winning the $250,000 grand prize.

The first part will see Jason Zuffranieri ($532,496 -19 Shows), Ryan Bilger ($107,049 - 4 shows), and Sarah Jett Rayburn ($89,300 - 4 shows) going for a tough battle.

The Tournament of Champions will also welcome players who won the most games from the last tournament up until the end of 2020.

According to Richards, the producers rented an entire hotel where the players can stay until the tournament ends. "Jeopardy!" decided to temporarily take over a hotel since of the top players live in the areas with stringent COVID-19 protocols.