BREAKING NEWS : Jeopardy! was extremely happy when Ken Jennings received the big announcement

Jeopardy! fans rejoice as Ken Jennings gets second Emmy nod – but predict another game show host will win

JEOPARDY! host Ken Jennings scored his second straight Emmy nomination for best game show host on Wednesday.

Fans were thrilled about the achievement but pointed out he is destined to lose on a technicality, even if he deserves to win.

Ken Jennings was nominated for best game show host at the 2024 EmmysCredit: Jeopardy!

The full list of Emmy nominees for best game show hostCredit: Emmy Awards

One fan posted, ‘I hope Ken wins, but I can see them giving it to Pat Sajak as a farewell thing’Credit: Getty
The 76th Emmy Awards – which will air in September 2024 – rolled out its full nominees on July 17.

The other “Outstanding Hosts For A Game Show” are Steve Harvey for Celebrity Family Feud, Keke Palmer for Password, Jane Lynch for Weakest Link, and Pat Sajak for Wheel Of Fortune.

Fans flooded social media to celebrate Ken’s achievement but pointed out Pat was likely to win.

Pat retired from WoF this season after 40 years, so fans speculated he’ll win on the legacy vote.

‘GIVING IT TO PAT SAJAK’

Jeopardy! shared the news on Instagram where one fan commented, “Congratulations, Ken, well deserved!!!”

“I hope Ken wins, but I can see them giving it to Pat Sajak as a farewell thing,” wrote another.

“I hope I’m wrong but I’m not seeing a win for Ken this year,” wrote a third on Reddit.

“Normally, I would say he is a lock to win. But the fact that Pat Sajak has retired (kind of) after so many years at Wheel would suggest to me that the voters will want to honor his long career.”

“Yup, I agree,” wrote a fourth Redditor. “Ken deserves it but might get robbed by circumstance.”

“It’s not a Lifetime Achievement Award, so no way to Pat Sajak,” vented a fifth. “Ken should win, but that’s my opinion.”

In 2023, Ken was nominated with former co-host Mayim Bialik, but neither won.

Mayim departed the show in December 2023, and Ken hosted all of Season 40, meaning this is partly a nod to how well he’s steered the ship since.

WHY KEN ‘DESERVES THE EMMY’

Another Redditor argued Ken is especially deserving, given the mess he has cleaned up since Alex Trebek’s death.

The host is also about to wrap up one of the most turbulent seasons yet, including the WGA strike and an onslaught of fill-in tournaments.

They wrote, “Ken is an excellent host and steward of Jeopardy. He has kept the show interesting and running smoothly, which is impressive in normal circumstances. And I think this alone is worth of a nomination.

“But he has done this when confronted with a seemingly endless stream of turbulence — the hosting search, the Mike Richards fiasco, Mayim’s firing, the writer’s strike, the endless tournaments, etc.”

That said, Jeopardy! likely won’t go home empty-handed – the show rarely does.

Jeopardy! was also nominated for Best Game Show, which fans predicted the show would likely win.

Jeopardy! has more Emmy wins than any game show, with 44 wins in its 60-year history.

Meanwhile, Pat’s June 7, 2024, retirement episode from Wheel of Fortune was a ratings smash.

He also closed the show with a moving monologue about Wheel and embraced Vanna White as they both cried.

Vanna will join new host Ryan Seacrest starting this fall for Season 42.

JEOPARDY! HOST HAVOK

Ken is a former champion who holds the record for the longest winning streak in Jeopardy! history with 74 consecutive wins in 2004.

Alex hosted the show’s modern iteration from 1984 until November 2020 after losing a battle with pancreatic cancer.

After his death, things got a bit chaotic, as viewers know all too well.

After a series of guest hosts, officials announced that producer Mike Richards and actress Mayim would be taking over as co-hosts.

However, in August 2021, Richards resigned over sexist resurfaced comments, and Ken stepped in to split hosting duties with Mayim.

In July 2022, it was announced that Mayim and Ken would continue to host together for season 39 by switching off.

However, after the show’s summer 2023 hiatus, it was revealed that Jennings would take over as the permanent host for season 40.

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.

Mayim announced in a personal Instagram message in late December 2023 that she would “no longer be hosting” the show.

“As the Holiday break begins in Hollywood, I have some Jeopardy! news,” she began her post.

“Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!”

Jeopardy! cobbled together a similar-looking Instagram message an hour later, and it has since been reported that Mayim broke the news without consulting the show first.

Ken later said he “understood” the decision as shows “don’t have two hosts.”

Now, Ken helms all facets of Jeopardy! including specials and spinoffs and is generally highly regarded by fans with ratings as high as ever.

In another interview, Ken said plainly, “I look forward to 37 more years of doing it [hosting], when I’ll be a very, very old man.”

KEN’S SALARY

Ken is reportedly tied to a $4 million contract as host.

The U.S. Sun previously reported that his contract isn’t long-term just yet.

However, Ken is happy to take a pay cut to ensure he remains a host for decades to come.

A Sony insider previously told The U.S. Sun, “What he really wants more than anything is to stick around and make this position work for the long run.

“And if that means making less money to ensure his longevity, you can bet your life he’d be game.