JEOPARDY! contestants have dished what happens when the show’s host, Ken Jennings, flubs a line.

On Thursday, former players and audience members provided insight into what happens behind the scenes on Jeopardy!

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Former Jeopardy! contestants have revealed what happens when Ken Jennings flubs a lineCredit: ABC

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A former contestant revealed that Ken ‘re-records’ flubbed lines during the commercial breaksCredit: Getty
On an online forum dedicated to the long-running game show, a fan asked what happens when Ken Jennings, 50, “flubs his words?”

The writer explained, “Of course they have him rerecord and edit it in for the TV broadcast. I’m more curious about how/if it [affects] live play.

“I’m sure a tiny glitch or stutter is not a big deal and they just continue,” they reasoned before adding, “But I’m sure on occasion words come out wrong enough to disrupt flow, clue isn’t quite read in the right flow/tone, and even though he reads and rehearses beforehand, the human brain still glitches.”

“I’m sure it happened to Alex sometimes too,” they continued.

The Redditor questioned, “Do they just pause tape for a minute or two and then pick up where they left off? Is it better or worse as a contestant to have a small breather, or does it disrupt your brain flow and/or buzzer timing?”

In the post’s comment thread, a former Jeopardy! audience member replied, “The host re-records ‘pick-ups’ during the commercial breaks.

“They just keep going, no pause, keeping the game going in real time.”

“Same as during the Alex era, which I saw live and in person,” they bragged.

A second fan asked, “Do the contestants actually get a break during the commercial breaks?”

Former contestant Nam Nguyen answered, “Yes! First break is Ken taking audience questions, second break is the 2 new contestants’ photos with Ken, then of course third is wagering for Final.”

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“You stand in place at the podium and are brought water while production staff do all the things they need to do,” chimed another past player.

They revealed, “This includes clue pickups, contestant photos, Ken taking questions from the audience, or other things. Typically they can last anywhere from about 2-5 minutes before the next segment starts.

“What’s a clue pickup?” asked a fan.

“Re-recording the audio of clue reads that were not read perfectly the first time,” the contestant replied.

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Former players and audience members provided insight into what happens behind the scenes on Jeopardy!Credit: Jeopardy!
Later, the same player explained, “Contestants are explicitly told not to go by what is said, but by what is written, because our response will be judged against the written clue only.

“In my experience, any flub Ken or Mayim ever made in clue reading basically amounted to a momentary pause and then repeat of the flubbed word, which was then re-recorded during breaks.

“I can’t speak for everyone, but I rarely if ever actually listened to the host’s clue reading for help parsing clues, so I don’t think a reading error would basically ever be so egregious as to cause a stopdown.

“I can also say that stopdowns are not something I ever wanted as a player. They are far more disruptive than a mispronounced or stuttered word,” they concluded.

SECOND CHOICE

Ken was not initially chosen to replace Alex Trebek on Jeopardy! because he lacked the ease of a natural-born TV presenter, a studio insider has claimed to The U.S. Sun.

The former champion was named sole host in December 2023 after actress Mayim Bialik, 48, was let go from the series.

Before that, Ken was one of several guest hosts who tried out when Alex died of pancreatic cancer in November 2020.

Ken’s trivia prowess was never in question, as he boasts the record longest winning streak in Jeopardy! history with 74 wins in 2004.

But there have been questions about his on-screen charisma as he transitions from famed champ to the face of the franchise.

Ken never had another major TV role to his name.

But he’s not letting that stop him as he grows into his role for the long haul.

WEAKNESS RECOGNIZED

A source told The U.S. Sun that Ken’s ease on screen is something he’s working to address, which is why he wasn’t an immediate shoo-in to replace Alex.

“The long-term goal with his hosting has been for him to bring more of the easygoing, likable side of him to his on-air interactions with contestants,” the insider said.

“That’s far easier said than done because the episode tapings are highly technical and there isn’t a lot of wiggle room in that format.

“To his credit, Ken is self-aware and knows his issues are always going to be how his personality reads on camera.

“And not his proven expertise with trivia or with the Jeopardy! game itself.

“Ken knows this, Sony knows this, and everybody knows this is the reason he was never the first choice to replace Alex Trebek,” they claimed.

“He got this job because the other candidates didn’t work out, and Ken is at peace with that.”

BALANCING ACT

Ken’s hosting role now demands much more than just holding court with three contestants and an audience of millions every weeknight.

While he only tapes twice a week, five games per tape day, the TV personality’s job is expanding along with the ever-modernizing show.

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.

“Being the face of Jeopardy! sounds like an easy job with only a handful of taping dates a month, but there’s a bit more to it than that,” the insider added.

“Ken also shows up to give pep talks at audience recruiting events around the country, and as the franchise has transitioned away from the Alex era, Ken’s had to set aside time.

He’s now embarking on “various merchandising and spinoffs of the show, which are very important to keeping the whole enterprise profitable.”

Ken made a surprise guest appearance at an Inside Jeopardy! Live on Tour in NYC in April, where he spoke at length and hosted a pseudo-game for 150 people.

“It’s a high-stakes balancing act Ken has had to grow into, and his Emmy nomination last year was a big vote of confidence that the TV industry, or at least a healthy portion of it, is rooting for Ken to make this work and to have a long run as Alex has.”

The insider added that sticking with Ken instead of Mayim, a sitcom actress for decades, may have seemed like a gamble, but it’s paying off.

“Even the transition from Mayim Bialik and Ken sharing hosting duties to just Ken having the job made Sony nervous.

“But Ken has shown that he can handle the job alone, and the ratings have backed that up.

“As long as the ratings hold and he doesn’t make any major public gaffes, Sony will stick with him, haters be damned.”

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A source told The U.S. Sun that Ken’s comfortability on screen is something he’s working to addressCredit: Jeopardy!/ABC

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Ken was named sole host in December 2023 after actress Mayim Bialik was let go from the seriesCredit: Getty

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Ken has grown into the role of Jeopardy! host with his Emmy nomination showing proof of his progressCredit: Getty