JEOPARDY! viewers are becoming increasingly frustrated with Ken Jennings, blaming the game show host for several on-air mistakes.
Once a fan favorite, Ken has come under fire in recent Jeopardy! episodes as viewers call out the host’s “disrespectful” pronunciation errors and slam his “harsh” rulings.
KEN YOU DO IT?
Longtime Jeopardy! viewers and new fans alike have begun to question whether Ken is the right man for the job.
While nobody can compare to the show’s former – and legendary –host, Alex Trebek, some fans are wondering whether the show’s producers made the right call parting ways with Ken’s former co-host, Mayim Bialik.
An insider exclusively told The U.S. Sun that Ken “takes the job seriously” and “doesn’t want to screw up,” but he’s also “not writing for the show.”
Ken prefers to leave certain elements – categories, clues and nail-biting calls on so-called acceptable answers – up to the show’s writers and producers.
When asked whether he has any input on the game show’s clues, the insider revealed the show’s winningest contestant doesn’t have as much say as viewers think.
“He certainly has done that [offered a punch-up on a clue] but it’s not a regular thing and it’s not what he’s being paid to do,” the source told The U.S. Sun.
“The writing operation on Jeopardy! is a nine-to-five, five-day-a-week operation because the writers are creating clues not just for the daily TV show but for the various theme weeks, tournaments, celebrity editions, contestant recruitment tests and, importantly, for the mountain of Jeopardy! merchandise, from calendars to video games and everything in between.”
“It’s a huge assembly line that feeds into a bunch of smaller businesses and Ken knows better than to meddle with any of it,” the source added.
As for looking over the show’s clues ahead of each taping and offering changes, like the late Alex Trebek used to do, Ken has taken a slightly different route.
“He trusts the system and isn’t trying to reinvent it as he settles into the permanent hosting job,” the source said.
HE’S THERE KENOUGH
The source also confirmed that while Ken is “engaged and focused, notably more so than Mayim was,” he’s also “not hanging around the office if he isn’t taping.”
Ken is notably taking a cue from today’s younger generations and diving headfirst into a healthy work-life balance.
“He has a full family life at home and he’s always developing other television projects or book projects,” the source added.
“But when he’s at Jeopardy! he takes the job seriously and he doesn’t want to screw this up.”
Jeopardy! Host Timeline
Jeopardy! has had a tumultuous history regarding hosts after the death of the iconic Alex Trebek in 2020. Here are all of the hosts since the game show's inception in 1964.
Art Fleming – 1964 to 1975, he was the original host of the daytime version of Jeopardy! on NBC.
Alex Trebek – 1984 to 2020, the late, great Alex hosted Jeopardy!’s modern iteration for 36 years until his death from pancreatic cancer.
Guest hosts – 2020 to 2021, Jeopardy! tested out a series of guest hosts for week or two-week stints, including Anderson Cooper, LaVar Burton, and Aaron Rodgers.
Mike Richards – 2021, he was named host for one week before resigning amid controversy. He was the show’s executive producer at the time.
Mayim Bialik – 2021 to 2023, when Mike was announced as the show’s new host, Mayim was chosen to host tournaments and primetime specials.
Mayim and Ken Jennings – 2022 to 2023, 74-time champion Ken (the longest-winning contestant ever) joined Mayim as a guest host and they split hosting duties.
Ken Jennings – 2023 to present. Last December, Mayim announced on Instagram that she would “no longer” host Jeopardy! after a lengthy hiatus, having stood with the writer’s strike, and Ken was named sole host.
Ken now helms all editions of Jeopardy! including Celebrity Jeopardy!, the nightly show, and other primetime specials like Masters.
The source also revealed that despite some of Ken’s on-air blunders – like mispronouncing certain words– he does “pre-read all of the clues,” as required by the show’s hosts.
“No matter who is hosting, the host needs to pre-read all of the clues before each taping because there are issues with clues with particular cadence and pronunciation that could cause chaos if Ken [or another host] was reading them for the first time on air,” the source said.
“But Ken is not writing for the show and isn’t trying to – he’s very focused on being a great host in the tradition of Alex.”
Unlike Alex, however, who had greater input on clues and key changes to the show, Ken’s input “isn’t [as] big” as Alex’s, nor does he need or want it to be.
“Ken’s input on clues isn’t big because he’s very focused on his on-camera duties, interfacing with the guests, pronouncing everything right and making taping days as smooth as possible,” the source revealed.
“Ken is not a frustrated clue-writer or anything like that,” the source continued.
“My understanding is that he and the writers have a respectful relationship that, in some cases, extends back many years to his earliest days on the show.”
AGAIN AND A-KEN
Jennings’ now infamous Jeopardy! run – as a contestant – began during the show’s 20th season, with his first show airing on June 2, 2004.
His Jeopardy! winning streak continued until he lost his 75th game to challenger Nancy Zerg.
The episode, taped in September, aired on November 30, 2004.
During his run, Ken answered over 2,700 questions correctly on the program, and left viewers – and Alex himself – shocked after being unseated as the show’s reigning champ.
“I do not think the writers are trying to sabotage Ken but that doesn’t mean there aren’t members of the audience who want to see Ken stumble or make mistakes,” the insider added.
Jeopardy! is, above all else, a TV show first and foremost, lending itself as entertainment, however elevated it may be.
Viewers tuning in don’t just watch the show for its familiarity or to test their knowledge, but also to occasionally poke fun at the show’s blunders, including Ken’s on-air mishaps.
“But it’s been like that since he first became a game show star – it’s just part of his reality and he rolls with the punches,” the source added.
Pronunciation errors and harsh judgment calls aside, Ken is too busy doing what he knows how to do best – hosting the show – to focus on any online vitriol against him.
And for now, Ken – and only Ken – has still got the job.
