Jeopardy! Masters’ Ken Jennings revealed how decision he made ‘on a whim’ ended up with him being show’s host
JEOPARDY! Master’s Ken Jennings has shared the unlikely story on how he became the host.
The 50-year-old has been the permanent host of Jeopardy! since 2023, but first joined as a guest host in 2021 following the death of the beloved Alex Trebek.
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Ken Jennings did not plan to become the host of Jeopardy!Credit: KABC
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The star first appeared on the show 20 years agoCredit: Disney
Ken spoke ahead of Wednesday’s Jeopardy! Masters finale and reminisced on how he was offered his role.
He first appeared on the show as a contestant, where in 2004 he won 72 consecutive games and racked up $37,201 just from his first match.
“Next month is the 20th anniversary of my first appearance on ‘Jeopardy!’ A week or two is the 20th anniversary,” Ken told New York-based ABC affiliate WABC.
“I was kind of a mildly unhappy computer programmer at the time, kind of thinking to myself, I should do something different with my life.
“You know, just on a whim I went on ‘Jeopardy!’ So, I think there is another world where I’m a mildly unhappy computer programmer and Dr. Oz is hosting ‘Jeopardy!’ It’s a very dark universe,” Ken joked.
When Ken appeared on the show, the late Alex was the host.
Ken said that he feels the presence of his predecessor.
“Alex’s presence looms large and we call it the Alex Trebek stage now and the players and the audience really enjoy that and who better to name the trophy after than Alex, especially when you have that amazing alliteration, Trebek Trophy,” he added.
The winner of Jeopardy! Masters receives the Trebek Trophy in honor of the man who hosted more than 8,200 episodes for 37 seasons.
Ken was excited ahead of the tense match and said it was all to play for.
Jeopardy! champ Victoria Groce beats James Holzhauer in shock Masters defeat as fans rave ‘his reign of terror is over!’
“Unlike on your average ‘Jeopardy!’ night, these are people who are very comfortable with the game. Their minds are always turning,” he explained.
He added that they’ll deliver difficult answers but also throw in a few digs at the host, which he enjoyed.
WHO WON?
The final three players in the second Masters tournament were Victoria Groce, Yogesh Raut, and returning champ James Holzhauer.
Victoria took the crown after a tense battle and finished with a total score of $55,400.
As the winner, she also received $500,000 and and $100,000 for the charity Partners in Health for her tournament victory.
Jeopardy! Universe
Jeopardy! first aired in 1964 until 1975. Then the nighttime version began in 1974. Since then, spinoffs of the game show have emerged. Here are all of those
Jeopardy! – (primetime) 1974 to present, weekdays on ABC at 7pm
Tournament of Champions – 1984 to present, features the top champions who have appeared on the show since the last tournament
Celebrity Jeopardy! – 1992 to present, has celebrities comepete against each other to raise money for chairty
Jeopardy! Masters – 2023 to present, features six notable recent Jeopardy! champions competing against each other
Jeopardy! National College Championship – 2022 to present, undergraduates from 36 colleges and universities across America compete to win $100,000
Other versions of Jeopardy! have fizzled out throughout the years
James appeared to be the forerunner, but Victoria thwarted his chances.
Like the semifinals, the finale wiped the standings clean for a level playing field.
The last category featured popular retired Philadelphia Eagle Jason Kelce, brother of current Super Bowl champ Travis Kelce, reading off the clues.
THE FINAL BATTLE
Victoria got off to an early lead but James worked his way back into the game, eventually tying the score with $1,400 before betting big and losing it all in the Daily Double.
James did regain the lead due to a couple of incorrect answers from Victoria and Yogesh, but that did not last long.
All three correctly answered for the final question “Henrietta Lacks” to the clue “The New York Times wrote of this woman who had died in 1951, ‘Though she was forgotten at the time, part of her remained alive.'”
James knew he had been defeated and added “Final boss death music,” and proceeded to mimic the Mario death tune upon being asked about it.
New champion Victoria wrote along with the correct response, “Great games y’all. See you next year!”
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Ken said it was all to play for at the Masters’ FinalCredit: KABC
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Victoria took the crown on Wednesday night’s finalCredit: Jeopardy!
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Ken said Alex Trebek’s presence is still felt on setCredit: Getty
