Since the death of beloved Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek late last year, the popular quiz show has seen a series of celebrity guest hosts step behind the podium, but Dr. Mehmet Oz’s turn hasn’t gone over especially well with fans. Dr. Oz began his two-week hosting stint on Monday, but since then, fans have begun calling for a boycott of the show as well as the removal of Dr. Oz from hosting.
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According to People, there was controversy around Dr. Oz’s hosting role even before Monday. When the Dr. Oz Show host was announced as an upcoming celebrity host, a group of former Jeopardy! contestants and winners wrote a letter expressing opposition to the casting, stating that the doctor’s casting is “in opposition to everything Jeopardy! stands for” and would celebrate “talking head[s] at the expense of academic rigor and consensus.”
The letter specifically noted Dr. Oz’s past medical opinions shared on his own show.
“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 letter claimed. “Dr. Oz represents what has become a dubious trend in America: the elevation of the credentialed talking head at the expense of academic rigor and consensus.”
Despite Dr. Oz starting his guest-hosting role with a tribute to Trebek by sharing a favorite memory of his late friend, fans still took to social media calling for a boycott of the show with many displeased that Monday’s episode was raising money for a charity that Dr. Oz sits on the Board of Directors for, HealthCorps.
You can read on for some of the “#BoycottJeopardy” sentiments and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
@Jeopardy #BoycottJeopardy In a time of pandemic, using someone like Dr. Oz, who has peddled fake information on TV? What a sad turn of events for Jeopardy.
— TooDarkMark (@Toodarkmark1) March 23, 2021
I am a loyal, diehard @Jeopardy fan. But I am boycotting the show for these two weeks due to your select of @DrOz as guest host. Jeopardy is about facts, Oz is not. Looking forward to the other guest hosts! @andersoncooper !!!! #BoycottJeopardy
— katie sikorski (@katiemsikorski) March 24, 2021
I have watched & loved Jeopardy for more than 40 years. I have encouraged dozens of young people to take up watching. But Monday evening when Dr Ox came on, I felt sick. A TV shyster, who is raising fund for his own charity. What a self-promoting, phony. @#BoycottJeopardy
— Glenn Rees (@garees) March 24, 2021
I have been watching since the 1st episode with with my family;
— LoneG (@LoneG18) March 24, 2021
Alex was an amazing and kind man who cared deeply for his followers and fans. Having Oz even near that podium is an insult to him and whomever thought it was a good idea needs to be fire…
#BoycottJeopardy
I am a loyal, diehard @Jeopardy fan. But I am boycotting the show for these two weeks due to your select of @DrOz as guest host. Jeopardy is about facts, Oz is not. Looking forward to the other guest hosts! @andersoncooper !!!! #BoycottJeopardy
— katie sikorski (@katiemsikorski) March 24, 2021
Have to add my voice to the crowd #BoycottJeopardy while Dr Oz is on. What a disrespectful gesture towards Alex Trebec and the show.
— Andrea Savitch (@raphela) March 23, 2021
Yeah I’m taking a two week break from watching. I’m not going to watch that charlatan!#BoycottJeopardy
— nickapo (@imabluesguy) March 23, 2021
Just unrecorded @Jeopardy for the first time ever because snake oil salesman @DrOz is hosting now and he is the last person Alex would have wanted to touch his show, I won’t be watching until he is off the air #BoycottJeopardy #AlexTrebek #deservesbetter
— Cat Garner (@cataloggarner) March 23, 2021
@Jeopardy Absolutely will not be watching for the next 2 weeks. Why would you pick someone like Dr. Oz?! #BoycottJeopardy
— Diane B (@mamacitabear) March 23, 2021
I know #AlexTrebek is irreplaceable but as long as this pseudoscientific #MisinformationFountain charlatan is hosting this iconic show I will not be watching.#BoycottJeopardy
— Brazen Honesty (@BrazenHonesty) March 23, 2021