Dr. Oz Gets Crushing News As Former ‘Jeopardy!’ Contestants Launch Bid To Have Him Removed

Dr. Mehmet Oz is the latest guest host to take the helm of “Jeopardy!” this week in the wake of the tragic death of longtime host Alex Trebek in November. 

Unfortunately for Dr. Oz, former “Jeopardy!” contestants were unhappy about him being added to the list of guest hosts.

In fact, when they saw him listed as a guest host, they launched a petition demanding he be dropped. But, it didn’t work and Dr. Oz is hosting for two weeks.

Some of the other guest hosts so far include Ken Jennings and Katie Couric. They didn’t get the same response as Dr. Oz.

Aaron Rodgers will guest host in April. 

Former ‘Jeopardy’ Contestants Fight Back

In a letter published on Medium.com, various past “Jeopardy!” winners and contestants urged “Jeopardy!” producers to rethink their decision of making Dr. Oz a guest host.

They said it was a “dubious” decision and to have him in the role would celebrate “the elevation of … talking head[s] at the expense of academic rigor and consensus.”

“When we heard that Dr. Mehmet Oz was slated to be a guest host, agreement came quickly — we were opposed,” the letter began. “Dr. Oz stands in opposition to everything that Jeopardy! stands for.”

The letter went on to list several examples of Dr. Oz being publicly slammed for his unresearched and potentially “dangerous” claims.

Related: ‘Jeopardy’ Has Banned Certain Wagers Because They Are Deemed Racist, Satanic, And Sexual

Contestants Provide Examples

“Throughout his nearly two decades on television he has used his authority as a doctor to push harmful ideas onto the American public, in stark contrast with his oath to first do no harm,” the former contestants said.

“These ideas include promoting supplements that do nothing, legitimizing gay conversion therapy (which is banned in California, as well as 19 other states), dangerous ‘cures’ for autism, and, most recently, the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19,” the added. 

“None of these things is backed by any scientific fact and by promoting them he is actively putting his viewers in danger,” the contestants continued. 

The former contestants concluded their letter by saying that “‘Jeopardy!’ is known for being incredibly rigorous; a well-deserved reputation. To then invite Dr. Oz to guest-host is a slap in the face to all involved.”

Related: The Touching Moment From ‘Jeopardy’ Host Alex Trebek’s Final Episodes That You Won’t See On TV

Dr. Oz Begins Guest Hosting Gig

Despite this push from previous contestants, Dr. Oz still began his two-week stint hosting “Jeopardy!” on Monday night.

“You know, I was so fortunate to become friends with Alex, and I visited him and this show as often as I could,” he said at the start of the show, according to Yahoo News.

“One of my favorite memories was of Alex showing me, with immense pride, a room full of letters and support for him from you, from his fans. And of all of his achievements he was most proud of his connection with all of you at home.”

Fans Slam Dr. Oz

Fans, however, were not having any of it.

It gets worse…

Families are tuning out.

No one can fill Alex Trebek’s shoes. His was a long and endearing legacy. 

Related: Ken Jennings Admits Hosting “Jeopardy!” Is Hard After Getting Trolled By Contestant

It remains to be seen whether Dr. Oz will be able to win over fans while hosting the show.