Ken Jennings had a moment while hosting “Jeopardy!” When he didn't want to be part of the show anymore.
During an interview with Rolling Stone, Jennings admitted that when he was asked to take over for Alex Trebek after his death in 2020, he wasn't worried about the first episode.
He was more concerned about the grief and mourning he and the show's crew experienced over the loss of Trebek.
“Everyone there was so emotional, and I had to be the one to talk through him, even though I probably knew him least out of all the 100 people on set, the crew, the staff. It was very scary. You realize the audience doesn't 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,'” Jennings told the outlet.
“risk!” Showrunner Michael Davis told Rolling Stone that the original plan after Trebek's death was to rotate between several hosts to lead the show, but Jennings stood out among the potential candidates.
“I saw the look the contestants would have when they walked out on stage. Or his skill with the material,” Davies said. “I remember that at one point, someone came up and gave the wrong answer, and they said: ‘Who is Gainsborough?’” “Oh, no, I'm sorry, he's Gainsborough's biggest rival,” he said, mentioning the name of another unknown artist. It was just a moment, [but] Who on Earth but Ken Jennings could have that moment?
In 2021, Jennings and Mayim Bialik were named as the show's new permanent hosts. In December 2023, Bialik announced that she had been laid off from the job.
Jennings also shared that he discussed the idea of taking over the game show with Trebek, saying the first time was when he talked to him about recording a segment for his 2020 audio book.
“That was the first time I had a conversation with him [about] “He passed the torch, and even that was kind of unspoken,” Jennings said.
Jennings' career with “Jeopardy!” I started 20 years ago as a racer. Over the course of 74 consecutive matches, Jennings has won more than $2.5 million.
In his interview with Rolling Stone, he addressed the future of “Jeopardy!” He said the game show has the ability to “unite” people.
“'risk!' “It's a strangely unifying thing,” Jennings said. “Young people, old people, red states, blue states — it's an institution that has this universal appeal.” Whatever and whoever the anti-science and anti-fake news forces may be, they seem to have some earmark for “Jeopardy!” Maybe because it's a game?
“This is the place where no one says, 'Why are you doing a class about dinosaurs?' Dinosaurs are not real. Or “Why do you remember the moon landing?” “We've never been to the moon.” For whatever reason, “Jeopardy!” “He seems to be immune to that, which is probably a good sign.”
