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He is America’s Doctor and the New Guest Host of ‘Jeopardy!’ Who is Dr. Sanjay Gupta

He is America’s Doctor and the New Guest Host of ‘Jeopardy!’ Who is Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, America’s doctor during the most serious healthcare crisis thecountry has ever encountered – COVID-19 and a multiple Emmy-winning neurosurgeon with the unassuming designation of CNN’s chief medical correspondent will soon add another feather to his cap. The iconic quiz show “Jeopardy!” has welcomed several guest hosts since the passing of Alex Trebek, and on Monday, June 28, the Atlanta native and health reporter will be stepping behind the host’s lectern.

Gupta, who was named “pop culture icon” by USA Today, was one of People magazine’s “Sexiest Men Alive” in 2003, and Forbes magazine’s “Ten Most Influential Celebrities.” He took to Instagram to pay tribute to Trebek after news of his hosting hit social media. He wrote, “I used to watch @jeopardy with my parents and now with my own kids. The thing is: there is just something so beautiful and reassuring about facts, simple straightforward facts. I cherish that. An honor to be an upcoming guest host, but I seriously miss the great Alex Trebek.”

Speaking of his new temporary role in a sneak-peek with “Jeopardy!,” Gupta said, “The funny thing is, when I was younger, we (his parents and him) used to watch Jeopardy! together, quite a bit. It would have topics on scientists and mathematics and foreign countries. My parents, as immigrants, loved Jeopardy!. It had data, numbers, and facts. English wasn’t their first language and yet they could do well on Jeopardy!. They knew a lot of answers. And I knew a lot of the answers. It was inspiring for me to see them come out like that over a quiz show game in the United States and bond over competing with one another. Even on a hard day, getting a few answers right on Jeopardy!, those were some of my best memories.”

He also pointed out that he continued this tradition, watching with his kids and so when this “incredible” opportunity came his way, “the whole family was enthusiastic” and so he “jumped at i.” And the most excited is his 15-year-old daughter, “a regular viewer of the quiz show” adding with his trademark smile, “she takes great pride in getting responses right that I don’t get. Jeopardy! is a great equalizer, what with my 15-year-old dissing on me!” 

A huge fan of the legendary Trebek, Gupta mentions meeting him briefly at a ceremony and being impressed by how he carried himself and his “sheer energy,” adding with a laugh, “meeting Alex Trebek is usually followed by telling all your friends you met Alex Trebek!” And the big winner here – apart from the contestants – will be charity.

A huge fan of the legendary Trebek, Gupta mentions meeting him briefly at a ceremony and being impressed by how he carried himself and his “sheer energy,” adding with a laugh, “meeting Alex Trebek is usually followed by telling all your friends you met Alex Trebek!”

“Jeopardy!” announced that it will contribute to the charity of the host’s choice, an amount that will match the cumulative winning of all contestants who compete during the guest host’s tenure. Dr. Gupta notes his charity of choice is — Odyssey Atlanta — a group helping transform children’s lives through educational programming, plugging the learning gaps left behind by online school during the pandemic. 

An emotional Dr. Gupta reiterated what a hard year it has been for children, some of whom haven’t flourished with little to no resources. “The money this will raise will transform these kid’s lives.” Gupta, who believes his job as a neurosurgeon best prepared him for this role, states in the interview, “There’s a precision to this show like surgery. Like surgery, there are just things you have to do in the right order and get right. And if you mess up you can fix it like surgery.” Gupta, also added, “As a neurosurgeon, I understand the importance of exercising your brain, so I recommend watching ‘Jeopardy!’ every day.”

The announcement was met with glee by netizens. As Indira Harinath summing up the sentiment tweeted, “Replying to @OnTheRedCarpet @drsanjaygupta and @Jeopardy.Good luck! Trying your hand at something new and scary, are you? Love the fact that you practice what you preach in your book “Keep Sharp,” wherein you say “engage in cognitively stimulating activities” that you enjoy. Will definitely watch.”

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Gupta is a practicing neurosurgeon and is an associate professor of neurosurgery at Emory University and an associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital. On top of this, he is an intrepid medical correspondent. He was a reporter on the scene of the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York. Some of his other breaking stories include coverage of Hurricane Katrina, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, he also spoke on the rollout of Healthcare.gov and traveled to Conakry, Guinea to investigate the Ebola outbreak, as well as the Pulse nightclub shooting. He also worked as a White House Fellow in 1997 and wrote healthcare speeches for the former First Lady Hillary Clinton.

He was also behind the award-winning documentary, “Separated: Saving the Twins,” where he told the story of two craniopagus twins getting separated. On “Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta,” on CNN, he uses this program to travel around the world and show people different secrets to living out a happier, healthier, and longer life. He’s also the star of the documentary “One Nation Under Stress,” where he examined why life expectancy has taken a drastic downward spiral. On top of all that, he has authored four books – “Chasing Life,” “Cheating Death,” “Monday Mornings,” and “Keep Sharp: Building a Better Brain.”

And with all that on his to-do list, Gupta hopes to bring his wit and humor to his two-week stint as guest host. America’s favorite doctor will host the show from June 28 until July 9. I guess it’s time to say “I’m Dr. Sanjay Gupta. And this is Jeopardy!”

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