Why JEOPARDY! Host Ken Jennings Didn’t Want to Be on Show
Why JEOPARDY! Host Ken Jennings Didn’t Want to Be on Show
By Movieguide® Contributor
JEOPARDY! host Ken Jennings takes his job seriously, but at first, he didn’t want to be on the show.
Jennings replaced longtime host Alex Trebeck, who died in 2020 from pancreatic cancer at the age of 80. He hosted the iconic game show since 1984.
“JEOPARDY! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends,” the show wrote on its X account at the time. “Thank you, Alex.”
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When Jennings took over Trebck’s role, the JEOPARDY! crew was still mourning the former host’s death, making his transition into the role extra challenging.
“Everybody there was very emotional, and I had to be the one talking through it, even though I probably knew him least of all 100 people on set, crew and the staff. It was very scary,” Jennings admitted. “You’re aware that the audience does not want you there. They’re like me, they want the other guy, and I was missing him too. I’m like, ‘I don’t want to be here. I would give anything to not be here right now.’”
In addition to facing the fear of not being wanted, Jennings was well aware that he had some big shoes to fill. But showrunner Michael Davies saw Jennings’ potential and value.
“I saw the look that the contestants would have when he’d walk out on the stage. Or his facility with the material,” he recalled. “I remember at one point, somebody buzzed in and gave the wrong response, and they said, ‘Who is Gainsborough?’ And he said, ‘Oh, no, I’m sorry, it’s Gainsborough’s great rival,’ and named some other obscure artist. It was just a moment, [but] who on earth other than Ken Jennings could have that moment?”
But now, Jennings couldn’t be more thankful to host a show that unifies people around the country.
“JEOPARDY! is a weirdly unifying thing. Young people, old people, red states, blue states – it’s an institution that has this universal acceptance,” he said. “Whatever the forces of anti-science and fake news and whatever are, they seem to have some carve-out for JEOPARDY!”
READ MORE: WHO WILL HOST THE UPCOMING SEASON OF JEOPARDY!?
Jennings also hosts CELEBRITY JEOPARDY!, taking on the role after former host Mayim Bialik exited in 2023.
The series consists of hour-long episodes that pit celebrities against each other for the chance to win $1 million to be donated to a charity of their choice.
