I was thinking of that article while watching Ken tonight, because ISTM that he was doing a nearly perfect imitation of Alex. Which is as it should be in the first weeks, and maybe even months, of the post-Trebek era. Once they’ve settled on a permanent replacement, he/she can start making the show his/her own, as Drew Carry did with TPIR.
The only thing about Ken’s performance that wasnt perfect, and that I suspect will disqualify him for the permanent post, is his voice. As smart and pleasant and good at reading clues as Ken may be, his voice just doesn’t have the smooth and polished tone of a professional broadcast announcer. It’s thin and raspy and would not be enjoyable to listen to for 22 minutes every night. He’s a great contestant, but would not be a good permanent host, IMHO.
Most of the other possible replacements I’ve heard mentioned – e.g., Katie Couric, LeVar Burton – have professional-grade voices, and I predict that the permanent host will, too.