Jeopardy! fans having ‘second thoughts’ about Ken Jennings as permanent host after he’s slammed for ‘offensive opening’

JEOPARDY! fans have flagged Ken Jennings’ opening segment on Monday night, claiming it was offensive.

Many had second thoughts about who should be permanent host after he made an “extended and goofy” Canada-themed intro.

Many Jeopardy! fans felt Ken Jennings’ intro Wednesday was ‘offensive’ and ‘distracting’Credit: ABC

His ‘extended’ opening about all things Canada had fans slamming the ‘waste of time’Credit: Getty
Ken opened April 18th’s episode with a scoreboard worth of Canada jokes.

He began by noting that now 10-day reigning champion Mattea Roach is Canadian, before listing other people, places, and things from the country.

“Mounties, moose, maple syrup, ketchup chips … northern lights, Niagra Falls, Celine Dion, Norm Macdonald… Alex Trebek” he vamped before the game had even started.

The contestants laughed nervously as Ken completed his Canada chorus, but not everyone on Twitter was doing so.

‘CRINGE INTRO’

“That was quite the intro, Jennings,” one fan wrote as the jokes took air-time away.

Another noted: “What was with Kennings extended Canada themed #Jeopardy intro?

“Oh cringe! Ken, I hope that Canadian writer didn’t weave this basket of cliches together!” wrote a third as during his long list Ken mentioned a staff writer who is also Canadian.

“Ken Jennings, don’t roast Canada,” wrote a fourth while a fifth said: “Really, what a goofball.”

And a sixth on how the segment was “distracting” in general: “What is with Ken wasting so much time talking when he comes out? Can’t wait to see how many clues don’t get read because of it.”

“Alex Trebek would have loved this intro,” one said, referring to the show’s late host.

KEN HE DO IT?

Ken currently splits hosting duties with actress Mayim Bialik, and returned last week which many fans buzzed about.

On Facebook one wrote: “YAY!! Ken Jennings will be back next week! Please make him permanent host!”

However, fans battled Ken during his first week back over Final Jeopardy and what they said was a blatant “error.”

Mattea was the only one to get that night’s game-winning question right, according to Ken – however per Twitter he “screwed up” and “all three contestants” got it.

The Final Jeopardy question was about which war Winston Churchill considered the “first world war.”

Both first-time contestants answered: “What is the French Indian war,” but Ken bluntly told them both they were wrong, while Mattea answered, “What is the seven years war.”

Dozens of fans felt like the question was “confusing” as both answers technically referred to “the same war.”

“Jeopardy you screwed up today,” one wrote. “The French and Indian War started the 7 Years’ War. The latter is the European name. It’s the same war!”

Another agreed: “#Jeopardy Total nonsense. The French and Indian War is how we Americans refer to the Seven Years War.”

PLENTY OF ERRORS

While many viewers have been happy that Ken returned in place of banter-heavy Mayim, slamming her as a “terrible” host – fans have noticed other “errors” too.

During an earlier episode, contestant Zhe Lu was unable to correctly operate a question he answered as “Malpractice” that seemed unfairly and “poorly worded” by Ken.

The answer to the “bungled” question which included many commas and grammatical subjects was “what is a doctor.”

After the tragic death of longtime host Alex, who passed away from stage four pancreatic cancer on November 8, 2020, Ken and Mayim took over as presenters of the popular game show.

Mattea will return for Tuesday night’s Jeopardy! to attempt an 11-game streak.