Ken Jennings Reflects on Hosting ‘Jeopardy!’ After Alex Trebek

LOS ANGELES, California — Ken Jennings, the current host of ‘Jeopardy!’, shared insights into his experience as a contestant compared to the late Alex Trebek. Speaking on the red carpet of the TCM Classic Film Festival, Jennings highlighted a key difference in their hosting styles.

Jennings, who began his ‘Jeopardy!’ career 20 years ago and won over $2.5 million in 74 consecutive games, expressed empathy for the contestants. ‘Alex was a perfect host, but if there’s one difference between us is I remember what it was like to be a contestant. My heart just goes out to these people,’ Jennings told Fox News Digital.

He emphasized the pressure contestants face during their first time on television, saying, ‘It’s a high-pressure environment, so I’m always thinking, how can I make these people comfortable? Please, please get this right, somebody.’

In a recent episode, all three contestants faltered on the final round category about fictional characters, incorrectly guessing the answer to a clue about ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ Jennings explained, ‘Boq is one of these fictional people… but the correct response was “What is a Munchkin?”‘

Jennings took over hosting duties in 2020 after Trebek passed away from pancreatic cancer. Reflecting on that time, he recounted the emotional challenge of taking on the role during a period of mourning for the show’s staff, saying, ‘Everybody there was very emotional, and I had to be the one talking through it.’

While at the film festival, Jennings also connected Trebek’s love for Turner Classic Movies to ‘Jeopardy!’, noting that Trebek always had TCM playing backstage.

‘[TCM] is a big part of our process at ‘Jeopardy!’ because Alex always had TCM on backstage, and he was very knowledgeable, he knew his stuff,’ Jennings said.