Jeopardy! was extremely pleased to receive the announcement from Ken Jennings

Jeopardy! fans rejoice over Ken Jennings’ return date to replace Mayim Bialik as host

KEN Jennings has left Jeopardy! fans buzzing over the news that he will be back hosting episodes airing from July 3 until July 28.

Many viewers have made it no secret they prefer the 74-time champion over Mayim Bialik for the big gig.

Ken Jennings will host from Monday, July 3 until July 28 – at which point Jeopardy! will take its summer hiatusCredit: ABC

Fans shamelessly reacted to the news that they ‘had to stop watching’ while Mayim Bialik hostedCredit: ABC
The return of Ken, 49, to Jeopardy! was announced by a dutiful Twitter page that tracks his whereabouts.

The account Is Ken Jennings Hosting Jeopardy! This Week? tweeted on Monday: “Ken Jennings will return to host brand new syndicated episodes of Jeopardy! starting Monday, July 3.”

He will continue hosting the daily episodes through the Season 39 finale on July 28.”

Mayim, 48, splits one of TV’s most treasured roles with Ken and has hosted since early May.

She is stepping back out to support the WGA writers’ strike so Ken returned to wrap up the season.

Legions of fans have been waiting to come back for the syndicated game show and celebrated the news in the replies.

‘THANK GOD’

“I had to stop watching until Ken is back,” one person reacted.

“The show is so much better when he hosts, Thank God,” wrote another.

“What is: News that makes me happy?” wrote a third as a fourth jumped in: “The King Is Back.”

“I thought he only hosted the final week of Jeopardy!…but since it’s longer than that I’m happier now… ” wrote another.

To which someone else replied that since episodes tape five in a day, his stint will be a month-long in airtime.

One more reminded: “These are the episodes that required he crosses the writer’s picket line [and not stand with the WGA strike].

“He may not feel like he had a choice, but let’s not be too eager to celebrate his stepping in for Mayim this once.”

After July 28th’s episode, Jeopardy! will be off-screen until September.

Season 40 will then burst out of the gates with Ken’s 2023 Tournament of Champions, which will span 10 weeks and be expanded to three tiers.

KEN’T TAKE IT

Ken and the actress were announced last summer as the co-successors to the late, great Alex Trebek, who died from cancer at age 80 in 2020.

Ken recently wrapped the thrilling Jeopardy! Masters special, which was won by James Holzhauer, underdog Mattea Roach, 24, came in a close second last month.

Many Jeopardy! viewers who have tuned in since Masters have not been overly impressed with Mayim and her hosting style.

In particular, they also noticed that the star takes too long to respond to contestants when they give their responses.

One viewer fumed to Twitter: “As hard as I have tried I do not care for Mayim Bialik hosting Jeopardy!. She pauses before she answers and it drives me crazy. And I’m spoiled from the Masters.”

A second person agreed and replied: “My sentiments exactly. I think she waits for somebody in her ear to tell her whether the answer is accepted and it annoys me to no end. Then there’s the Masters hangover I have also. Ken Jennings has humor & charisma.”

Last month, other viewers begged Jeopardy! producers to address the pauses.

Since Mayim wasn’t fast enough to mark the responses right or wrong, a contestant started adding to his responses while waiting for her to rule.

In the ensuing few weeks, there have also been some hard-to-watch moments including the Lord’s Prayer being completely whiffed and an episode nearly resulting in the most unanswered clues ever (23).

Jeopardy! bosses joked: “Let’s forget it ever happened.”

Mayim also held court when nine-day champ Ben Chan controversially lost over one wrong letter in Final Jeopardy, sparking fan fury.

Mayim has ruled leniently on some iffy responses since -which also left fans feeling even more dissatisfied given Ben’s harsh judgment call – including an “illegible” final response.

Rulings aside, Mayim was also clocked for not mentioning when a contestant recently swept a category- as would be the norm.

And her “awkward” rapport during the interview segments has not helped her cause with skeptics either.

However, other people have defended that both hosts bring different qualities to the show.

JEOPARDY!’S BOSS BEGS FOR ‘PATIENCE’

Michael Davies, Jeopardy!’s experimental new executive producer who created Masters selected Ken and Mayim as the next hosts in 2022.

As Davies ushers the game show into its super-champ era, he’s also urging fans to have patience host-wise.

“When Ken is hosting and Mayim is hosting, there’s zero difference [in ratings],” the new EP told Vulture.

“It’s exactly the same [viewership] and that’s the broadest part of the audience.”

“This show is so hard to host. I wish many of our fans were more patient in understanding that we’re dealing with two hosts. Mayim is a very experienced actress. Ken is a very experienced Jeopardy! player.

“They’re both at the beginning of their hosting careers. I back them both.”