It’s an exciting time at Jeopardy!, both on-screen — where Caleb Groen is the latest superchampion trying to become one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners — and behind the scenes, with the search for a new writer being opened up to the public for the first time ever. In reading about the rigorous application process the potential clue-writers have to go through, I came upon a fact that was surprising to me — there’s one word that is apparently never used on the set of one of the greatest game shows of all time.

Watching new episodes of Jeopardy! as they hit the 2026 TV schedule each weekday has become an integral part of my post-work routine over the years, so I was caught off-guard a bit to learn that one word I would closely associate with the show is apparently off-limits to its employees. As executive producer Michael Davies told CNN:

OK, that makes sense when he says it like that. While Jeopardy! Masters champion Yogesh Raut has had his opinions about the show’s relevance, I definitely wouldn’t call it “trivial.” It definitely seems to be in a more elite class than other question-and-answer game shows.

Admittedly, I tend to use the word “trivia” more as a synonym for facts or general knowledge without assigning importance to those facts. But, if I’m going by Michael Davies’ rules, I don’t exactly qualify as an “elite, modern American” either, because as much as I watch Jeopardy!, I feel I’ve retained shamefully little knowledge about opera or world history (give me “Before & After” or “Triple Rhyme Time” any day though!).

Also, we can’t ignore that many of our favorite Jeopardy! winners have been regulars at their respective trivia nights. And while the Jeopardy! GOAT and current host Ken Jennings doesn’t show up at bar trivia to “stunt on those hoes,” he did come up in the quizzing community before finding fame via his 74-game win streak. (I now have no doubt that professional quizzers would also take offense to the word “trivia.”)

The trivia world has also served Jeopardy! alumni well, with Ken Jennings and others — Austin Rogers and Buzzy Cohen, for example — authoring their own trivia books after finishing their stints on the quiz show.

Jeopardy! and trivia may exist in the same world as each other, but it makes complete sense that Michael Davies and everyone involved in the show would want to protect it from being considered a “trivial” game of useless general knowledge. That knowledge is anything but useless when it leads to big paychecks and even sometimes career opportunities afterward.

We’ll have to keep watching Jeopardy! on weekdays to see who will bring enough smarts to the Alex Trebek Stage to dethrone Caleb Groen, who as of July 17 had accumulated $346,968 in 12 games. Check your local listings to see when episodes air, or catch them streaming the next day with either a Hulu subscription or Peacock subscription.

It’s been years since Ken Jennings actually competed on Jeopardy! as a contestant — and in fact he’s now technically banned from playing again — but either way, it’s still somewhat alarming anytime the host admits to not knowing one of the clues. He’s one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners, after all, with a seemingly unbreakable 74-game win streak. So when Jennings opened up about the category that made him nervous, it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting.

I have absolutely loved seeing Ken Jennings settle into his role as the host of Jeopardy! over the past couple of seasons, and I think it’s delightful that he’s smart enough to often provide context to some of the clues that may elude contestants. So it’s hard to imagine him being stumped by any particular subject, but apparently there was one that made him nervous. Ken Jennings spoke to Fox News Digital, and one pesky category seemed to keep popping up over the course of his time on the show. He said:

Alex Trebek was, indeed, a proud Canadian, and Ken Jennings has continued the tradition of championing our neighbors to the north, often bringing up his iconic predecessor when there’s a Canadian contestant or clue.

So maybe that is why hockey seemed to come up so often, or perhaps it only felt that way because Ken Jennings played 75 games of Jeopardy!, and there are only so many sports to form clues around. Naturally some topics are going to be recycled. I would actually be interested to know how often other major sports came up in comparison to hockey stuff!

Sports and pop culture do tend to be areas where many Jeopardy! contestants have trouble. I suppose those are harder to study than “World Capitals” and “U.S. Presidents,” which Ken Jennings says give you the most bang for your buck when cramming for the show.

To be sure, I’m terrible when I try to play along with hockey questions, and I’m fairly knowledgeable about sports as a whole. But is hockey really less desirable than clues about poetry, world history or (shudders) “The Dreaded Opera Category”? I guess with as much knowledge as the contestant-turned-host has in that noggin, there’s going to be one category that puts him in the penalty box.

Does that reference even make sense? Give me a break, I already told you I’m not great at hockey.

Let’s all brush up on our knowledge of the sport, then tune into one of the best game shows of all time to see when Ken Jennings’ most dreaded category pops up again. Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! airs, or stream episodes the next day with either your Hulu subscription or Peacock subscription.

As a fan of Jeopardy! going back decades, and as an avid listener to the podcast Ken Jennings used to host, Omnibus, I kinda thought I knew everything there was to know about the host of Jeopardy! , including a lot about his personal life. That is, until recently, when I saw an Instagram post from the game show host talking about this college roommate, fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson. In fact, Jennings even joked that he was the second nerdiest and second most successful person from that house they lived in together.

Brandon Sanderson Would Read His Work Aloud To His Roommates

Sanderson, who just signed a deal with Apple TV to develop his Cosmere literary universe as both a movie and a TV show, is one of the most successful fantasy writers on the planet, and it all started when he was living with Jennings in Provo, Utah, when they were both students at Brigham Young University. According to Jennings’ post, which was answering a fan question at a taping of Jeopardy!, Sanderson started writing during his shifts as a night manager at a local hotel. The author would read his latest work in the morning. Jennings said:

As cool as that would be, given how great even those early stories would have almost certainly been, Jennings was just relieved, joking in his trademark snarky way:

He also mentioned that he is now the second most successful person from that house. Coming from a guy who is still near the top of the list of the biggest winners in Jeopardy! history and now the host of the show, that’s really saying something! Jennings even comments that Sanderson has his own plane.

Sanderson, whose books are always best sellers, has had none of his dozens of stories become book-to-screen adaptations. At least, not yet. His deal with Apple has been called "unprecedented" for the level of creative control the author will have. It's something Sanderson has always closely guarded with his work and probably explains why it's taken so long for him to agree to a deal.

It’s always amazing when you read about famous people having childhood friends or college roommates who are equally successful and famous, like Al Gore rooming with Tommy Lee Jones at Harvard, or Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson rooming together at the University of Texas. This is the latest example of that for me, and it’s pretty darn funny that two people known for being nerdy (in the best way) were being nerdy together back in the mid-’90s in college.

While I'm not aware of all the perks that come with hosting Jeopardy! as a day job, being the parent that offspring trustingly turn to when they have a question has to be a plus. Ken Jennings revealed that when his kids have a question, he's the one they set their sights on, which leaves his wife feeling a certain type of way.

With the second season of Pop Culture Jeopardy! shifting services for this week's premiere all while Celebrity Jeopardy! has its finals week set for the 2026 TV schedule, Jennings told People that his game show trivia expertise can be an annoyance for his wife. When his kids have a question about something, they turn to him, even though their mom may have the same answer:

I totally empathize with his wife, Mindy Jennings, whom he's been married to since 2000. Just because someone is the host of Jeopardy! and also the holder of the show's longest win streak, that does not mean they know everything!

In fairness, it does mean you know a lot of things, so I understand his kids' perspectives as well. It's not so much that they're questioning their mother's intelligence as much as pointing to the evidence that their dad knows what he's talking about when it comes to a good deal of subjects. Let's not forget, he was the clear frontrunner to replace the late Alex Trebek, even amidst celebrity guests.

And now he's the host of Jeopardy full-time, so he's only learning more trivia as time goes on. I like to think he's preparing for the day a contestant comes close to tying his game-winning record, and will go up against them the day before they break his streak if he can. Honestly, if anyone ever gets close enough, I would love to see him stand between a competitor and Jeopardy! history. That's a primetime showdown I know that I'd love to see, though I almost doubt I'd ever see it in my lifetime.

It could take a long time before he has a worthy challenger, as recent winner Jaime Ding only brought the streak to thirty-one victories. Still, records are made to be broken, so one has to imagine that someday, someone may rise up and eventually dethrone Ken Jennings' win streak record. Maybe if Mindy Jennings gets on the show, she can start her run and win back her kids' faith all in one fell swoop. Nothing like some healthy competition between parents. right?

Catch Jeopardy! every weekday, and be sure to check your local listings for when to turn in. It's always a great watch for those looking to beef up their knowledge of things, or be the person their children turn to when they have a question about things. For those more interesting in Pop Culture Jeopardy!, a Netflix subscription is key.

Jeopardy! is one of the best game shows of all time, and that's arguably due to just how engaging it is to watch at home. It’s always impressive seeing just how much contestants know as well as what they don’t know. Of course, with it being a game show, there will always be screw-ups from participants once in a while. So what's it like for host Ken Jennings to watch people mess up and not be able to help them? Well, Jennings recently told a heartbreaking story, and it really illustrates his experience.

If anyone knows what it’s like to be a Jeopardy! contestant, it’s Jennings. Before stepping in as host following the death of Alex Trebek, he broke the record for the longest winning streak on Jeopardy! With 74 consecutive wins under his belt, Jennings is the all-time record holder still to this day and is one of the biggest Jeopardy! winners.

So Jennings is aware of the nerves and the stress that come with being on the show, meaning he also knows what it’s like to make a mistake. But, when it happens to the contestants, and he’s the host, that’s a different story. While speaking with Fox News Digital, Jennings recalled a time when he couldn’t do anything after a contestant messed up their wager for Final Jeopardy!, and it sounds horrible, for both him and the contestant:

Considering that Jennings has been on the other side of the podium, it’s understandable that he would want to help out the contestants more than he should. That's especially true when it comes to Final Jeopardy! and everything is on the line. The host admitted to “always thinking” about the contestants’ well-being, because he remembers “what that’s like.” That sense of empathy is something that makes him a great host though, at the same time, I'm not sure I'd be able to withstand standing in front of someone and watching them make an error.

Jennings may not be able to help contestants during the show, but that hasn’t stopped him from giving them advice. He tries to help them make their interview stories more interesting, and he's also revealed one factor he thinks is the key for someone breaking his winning streak. So it’s not like Jennings isn’t still helping contestants at all. He just wants to assist them in different ways. All in all, I've enjoyed seeing Jennings develop as a host, and I can see him growing into the role even more in time.

Of course, there will be other instances in which contestants mess up, whether with an answer or a wager. While Ken Jennings won’t be able to help, I'll certainly keep in mind that whenever such a faux pa happens, he'll be feeling for that unfortunate contestant.

Jeopardy airs weekly in syndication amid the 2026 TV schedule, so check your local listings to see when its airing in your market.

Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! are two of the best game shows of all time. While they have both gone through major changes in recent years, most notably with the hosts, they still remain a favorite among many viewers. Even though the two shows don’t interact too much with each other, Jeopardy!’s Ken Jennings just showed some love for Vanna White with a pretty big Wheel of Fortune prop.

It’s always a treat when Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune acknowledge the other’s existence, whether during an episode or when one of the hosts posts something on social media, like Jennings. The former Jeopardy! champ and current host took to his Instagram over the weekend to share a photo he took with the world’s largest $3,500 WOF space in LA, and it’s pretty big. Like big enough for Derek Hough to climb on and dance. Check it out:

Not only do I love how massive that wheel wedge is, but I love that Jennings wanted to get a photo with it in the first place. He also made sure to show love to White, who has been co-hosting Wheel of Fortune for decades. Jennings responded to one fan in the comments who praised White for being on the show for 43 years, and he shared equal praise:

It’s sweet seeing Jennings giving White her flowers while also visiting a big part of Wheel of Fortune. Those interested in checking out the world’s largest $3,500 WOF space, Jennings responded to another fan wondering where it is. And it sounds like it is a permanent prop, so people don’t have to worry about it going away any time soon, especially since there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight for Wheel of Fortune:

Since Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune are known rivals, and Jennings has even poked fun at his competitor in the past, it seems like not everything is a competition. There is definitely a lot of love between the two shows, at least when it comes to the hosts, and as someone who watches both shows from time to time, I’m very happy to see Jennings giving some love to White. The only thing that would make it even better is if Jennings ever did Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. Of course, he might be busy with his own job, but you never know.

It’s hard to think of a world without Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, so it’s a good thing there aren’t any plans to get rid of either for quite a while. The rivalry may continue, but it’s clear that the competition is only between the actual competitors and not the hosts, because between them, it’s all love and support and giant props that can be found on the soundstages.

I have a hard time picking out a more joyous time of year than one in which at least three different versions of Jeopardy! are part of the yearly TV schedule. This week marks the game show’s triple eclipse, where the flagship show and both of its spinoffs are airing daily (with ESPN Jeopardy! on the horizon). Sadly, Celebrity Jeopardy!’s fourth season and its cast of returning all-stars are going away soon, but with a new season already locked in for ABC’s fall lineup.

When I talked to Ken Jennings about this latest celeb-filled season, I had to ask if he had any Hollywood GOATs that he’d want to see holding a buzzer in the future, and I kinda need both of his answers to show up now, because they’re great choices. As the host put it:

Now that it's been said, let's amplify that out to the rest of the universe: "Hey, Donald Glover and Amy Poehler! Agree to be on Celebrity Jeopardy! in Season 5 or 6 or something! Please make Ken's wishes come true!"

That's probably enough. Although if neither the Community vet nor the Parks and Recreation vet are set to compete in the new season this fall, I will assume everyone else out there wasn't giving it their all. Or maybe this psychic helmet I bought from that guy's refurbished school bus isn't actually a psychic helmet at all.

In any case, I also think that both Glover and Poehler would do well on Celebrity Jeopardy! The latter likes to poke fun at herself on her podcast Good Hang, but most comedians are self-deprecating in that way. And to that end, the first three celebrity champions have all been comedic performers —Ike Barinholtz, Lisa Ann Walter and W. Kamau Bell. Ipso facto, both of them should just agree to be on there already. It's been like two paragraphs and nothing yet?

Ken Jennings spoke to the idea that because celebrities aren't usually put in positions where there's a chance for failure, simply agreeing to be a Jeopardy! contestant takes a certain amount of courage.

If the categories and clues on Celebrity Jeopardy! were on the same level of difficulty as the mothership, I could understand being hesitant to get on board, even with charity involved. But the spinoff definitely works on a bell curve in that respect, making it slightly easier to build up bigger paydays across the three rounds of play. Maybe it would help if Donald Glover could play in character as Childish Gambino. Whatever the case, have they agreed yet? Still no, huh? Sigh.

The final week of Celebrity Jeopardy!, wrapping on May 15, airs nightly on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET, with episodes streaming the next day via Hulu subscription and Disney+ subscription. Pop Culture Jeopardy! Is also available to stream daily for a glorious four-week stretch via Netflix subscription.

Jeopardy! fans like myself don’t like to think back to just a few years ago when the best game show of all time chose to replace Alex Trebek with more than one host. Those were dark days, and Ken Jennings has since settled into the role quite nicely of leading both Jeopardy! and Celebrity Jeopardy!. So how does he feel about Colin Jost as the host of Pop Culture Jeopardy!? The SNL Weekend Update anchor revealed the four-word, all-caps warning he supposedly received.

Colin Jost was picked over Ken Jennings — and Mayim Bialik, too, for that matter — to host Pop Culture Jeopardy!, whose second season is set to premiere May 11 on the 2026 TV schedule. While answering audience questions during a recent taping, Jost was asked if he and Jennings hang out, and I’m cracking up over this response:

Colin Jost looked legitimately interested in golfing with one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners before he was informed that Ken Jennings does not golf. He said the two have not yet met in person but that they have texted. He said:

I honestly can’t tell if this was an actual text exchange between Colin Jost and Ken Jennings, or if Jost is making a joke. It seems like the kind of thing the SNL writer might say in jest, but Jennings has quite the comedic edge himself, and this seems on-brand enough from the Jeopardy! GOAT to be real.

Either way, they may not be hanging out, “stunting on hoes” at bar trivia, but Ken Jennings seems to have only positive things to say about the Pop Culture Jeopardy! host. He even thinks Colin Jost would do well on Celebrity Jeopardy! — given his Harvard education and how successful comedians have been on the show — if he were allowed to compete (hosts are banned from taking part in future games).

I’m thrilled to see the longtime Saturday Night Live writer returning for the spinoff — which, unlike last season, can only be streamed with a Netflix subscription. Colin Jost crushes as the Pop Culture Jeopardy! host, but that doesn’t mean Ken Jennings’ job is at risk. Rumors circulated in the early days of the pop culture quiz show that not only was Jennings upset he’d been passed over as host, but that Jost could be good enough to take over as the one true host of all Jeopardy! formats.

I don’t believe a word of it, and I think they’re both perfect in their respective lanes. Whether they’re fighting over space in the dressing room, though, I guess I can’t be so sure.

Ken Jennings is one of Jeopardy’s biggest winners of all time, with a bottomless chasm of knowledge that ultimately saw him succeed Alex Trebek as host. He’s known first and foremost for his smarts, and second for trying to insert the word “hoe” where it doesn’t belong, but comedy? I think that’s better left to the famous faces who take the stage during Celebrity Jeopardy! However, I forgot that Jennings is actually really funny, and he reminded me of that when he roasted an audience member who asked about his 74-game win streak.

Jamie Ding injected a lot of enthusiasm into one of the best game shows ever over the past couple of months. I was gutted when Ding’s ascent up the Jeopardy! ranks came to an end, because I actually believed he might challenge that seemingly unreachable 74-game win streak set by Ken Jennings back in 2004. I don’t think I’m alone, either, because this Instagram Reel shows what happened when one person asked him:

Ken Jennings regularly takes audience questions during show tapings, and one person asked what he would do if Jamie Ding did surpass 74 wins. The host said he’d be “very excited” to see someone replicate his success, then pointed out how funny it would be if he started actively rooting against Ding:

The audience member expanded the question, asking if he was worried Jamie Ding would then take his job. Ken Jennings hilariously replied:

I mean, that sounds kind of cool, actually. Ken Jennings falls through the floor of the Alex Trebek Stage, and Jamie Ding changes into (naturally) an orange suit and tie to take his place behind the lectern. That would certainly be easier, and arguably less dramatic, than the process of replacing Alex Trebek, am I right?

Either way, Ken Jennings’ record — and job, apparently — are safe for now, as Jamie Ding did not get to his 75th win. He did, however, earn $882,605 in 31 games, in dominant fashion, I may add, with 23 of those victories coming in runaway fashion.

The host actually injects quite a bit of humor into the quiz show. For one thing, he’s always game to laugh at references to the aforementioned “What is a hoe?” incident or getting trolled by fans over not knowing H&R Block on the question that ended his run.

In fact, that signature humor came out again recently when asked if he’d purposely thrown that final game. His retort:

Well played, sir. Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! airs in your area, or watch recent episodes with either a Hulu subscription or Peacock subscription to hear what laughs Ken Jennings will provide us with next.

One reason Jeopardy! has consistently remained exciting to me for over a decade is the fact you never know what is going to happen when the show hits the TV schedule. Great contestants like James Holzhauer go on lengthy streaks. Sometimes competitors can come from behind and pull a big move in final Jeopardy! Sometimes champs win with just $1 to their names, amongst other unforgettable moments. It’s exciting, but I never saw my hometown being the clue catalyst that ended Jamie Ding’s streak.

Jamie Ding was already one of the biggest Jeopardy! winners of all time when new episodes began airing this week. He was 31 games into his winning streak, and some had already wondered if he might go much further and break Ken Jennings’ record, when contestant Greg Shahade came in, guns blazing. The newcomer landed some doozies during his runaway episode. I found the whole thing entrancing. He absolutely destroyed the reigning Jeopardy! champion from start to finish, but my favorite moment was a reference to the state of Indiana.

Shahade crushing one question about my hometown kind of summed up why he absolutely needed to win. His knowledge about geography was pretty impressive. I grew up in Southern Indiana, Evansville to be specific. I now live two hours away in Missouri and almost no one I encounter has ever heard of the city I grew up in. Most people tend to know Indianapolis and usually Fort Wayne, then would guess places like South Bend (shoutout Notre Dame) or Gary as the third largest. Evansville is significantly larger than both. But Greg Shahade is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a whopping 12-hour drive away, and he guessed the correct city.

We were only four minutes into the episode when this question happened, and at that point Jamie Ding was still sitting fairly comfortably. He was at $3,000 while Katrina and Greg before the question both had $1,200 at that point. It’s worth mentioning the category was “Where There’s A Ville” so that did give a bit of a hint, but the newcomer was quickest to the buzzer.

Directly after this, and what I feel like was a turning point, was when Greg landed on the Daily Double, prompting Ken Jennings to note, “Evansville hooked you up, possibly!” Greg went for the true Daily Double, nabbing the answer “Barton Fink” and pushing him significantly higher than his two competitors. He’d hold the lead through the rest of the game.

Greg ended up with a lot of luck (and skill) in the game, ultimately getting the third daily double a short time after. This second round bonus then put his total over 22,0000, and his streak continued from there.

CinemaBlend’s own Heidi Venable watched the episode live, and was absolutely gutted by the way Jamie Ding handled final Jeopardy when it became clear he couldn’t beat Greg. It was an emotional moment for fans who had been tuning in daily, but I honestly found it comforting that it was such a whupping. Now on his own (still short) streak, there is no doubt Greg Shahade was supposed to win that game, and I’m still a little startled it really all kicked up a notch with a little clue about my hometown, and the university my own mother attended many years ago. It's one of the reasons the show remains the GOAT of game shows.

Throughout Jeopardy!’s decades-long run, the beloved game show has had a lot of memorable moments. There have also been a lot of memorable contestants, including current host Ken Jennings. He is one of the biggest winners in Jeopardy! history with a 74-day win streak. It was definitely one for the books, but does he still remember the question that ended his legendary run over 20 years ago?

Every once in a while, Jennings can’t help but bring up his Jeopardy! past, whether it’s a look back at his run or a question that is similar to a viral one he had years ago. And his past was brought up again while he was answering audience questions as part of the Inside Jeopardy! podcast. One fan asked a question that has been haunting him for 20 years, as he wondered if the host really did not know the answer to his last Final Jeopardy! on his last episode all those years ago. Jennings’ response definitely answers it:

Considering Jennings cashed in over $4 million with his streak, it would be pretty hard to believe that he willingly gave the wrong answer. So his response to the question is the perfect answer. It also proves that he does very much remember what ended his streak on the show.

That being said, the fan thought it wasn’t such a bad question, since he wondered if Jennings ever got bored returning to Jeopardy! for 75 days straight, and again, Jennings had a simple response:

Jennings also had an inkling that the reason most people ask him those kinds of questions is because they want to show him up and say they knew what the answer was. But he doesn’t know if other people who were watching at the time knew, either. As for the question that ended his run, Jennings admits that he truly did not know the answer, and he didn’t get it wrong just because he was bored:

Even though his 74-game win streak came to an end on day 75, at least it was with a question that Jennings truly did not know. It’s possible someone could know the answer to a Final Jeopardy! question, but in the heat of the moment, they draw a blank and end up getting it wrong. Or perhaps they truly were bored and wanted just to end it. However, for Jennings, on that final day, he really didn't know the answer. And even though it doesn’t haunt him, he does, in fact, remember the question that took him out, and it surely has haunted the fan who asked about it for two decades.

He may not have won his 75^th straight game and is technically banned from returning as a contestant, but Jennings definitely won something even better. To go from Jeopardy! contestant to Jeopardy! host and taking over for the late Alex Trebek is quite the honor. And he has certainly been killing it, keeping Trebek’s memory alive and giving viewers an inside scoop on what it’s like to be on both sides of the game.

It’s an exciting time to be a Jeopardy! fan, as Jamie Ding — the quiz show’s current superchampion — climbs the ranks as one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners. The New Jersey law student and bureaucrat has been making easy work of his opponents, discarding them typically in runaway fashion, but can he catch the GOAT? Ken Jennings has said he thinks his 74-game win streak can be broken, and one of his comments makes me believe Ding could be the one to do it.

To say Jamie Ding has been impressive would be an understatement, as he’s won $627,600 in 22 games as of Monday, April 13. That’s good enough to put him in the all-time Top 10 for consecutive games won and highest regular-season earnings — and he’s still going! Sure, Ding still has a long way to go before he’s knocking at Ken Jennings’ 74-straight victories, but I can’t help but think of the one factor Jennings said would be key in getting there. The host said on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast last year:

These words epitomize what we’re seeing from Jamie Ding right now. He is dominating buzzer control, shutting out the other two contestants so they barely have a chance to stack up money against him. Moreover, he doesn’t seem to be stressed about it at all. Ding looks right at home on the Alex Trebek Stage, often smiling when he responds to clues and telling animated stories during the first-round break.

It certainly doesn’t feel like he’s got the weight of Jeopardy!’s record books resting on his shoulders, and now may just be the most crucial time for Jamie Ding to be hitting that plateau that Ken Jennings talked about.

Putting the GOAT’s 74 wins aside, only three other players in the history of the greatest game show of all time have been able to surpass 30 wins: Amy Schneider (40), Matt Amodio (38) and James Holzhauer (32). The rest of the Top 10 saw their streaks end between 19 and 23 wins. That’s right where Jamie Ding is, so this would be a huge hurdle to get over.

I wouldn’t be surprised to know that this is when fatigue starts to set in, or the realization that you’re actually making Jeopardy! history. If Jamie Ding is able to stay as calm and focused as he has been, he seems practically unstoppable.

While inevitably, it is the quiz show’s “ironclad law” that all streaks will come to an end, Ken Jennings may be hoping that Jamie Ding is just getting started. The host said last year during Scott Riccardi’s 16-win run:

How far will Jamie Ding go? Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! airs in your area, and episodes are also available for next-day streaming with either a Hulu subscription or Peacock subscription.

I’m the kind of Jeopardy! fan that can present as being slightly bothered by the increasing number of tournaments and spinoffs being ordered, all while secretly wishing that the all-time great game show could replace at least half of what’s currently clogging up the 2026 TV schedule. We’re currently living large with not just the daily series, but also Celebrity Jeopardy! airing on ABC and Jeopardy! YouTube streaming on the titular service. I’m also patiently waiting for SNL’s Colin Jost to return as host of Pop Culture Jeopardy!

When I talked to Ken Jennings about the current season of Celebrity Jeopardy!, where he explained to me the logic behind the returning all-star approach, I asked if he thought Jost might ever pop over onto a future season of the primetime spinoff. True to form, Jennings first addressed whether that could even be possible from a rule-based perspective, saying:

Crushing out as the winner of the GOAT tournament against James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter turned out to be Jennings’ final moment in the sun as a Jeopardy! champion, as it was latter that same year when Alex Trebek passed away, and the door was eventually opened for Jennings to take over show-leading duties. Though there was never a real reason to previously have a rule in place barring Jeopardy! hosts from competing, the game show’s new era does include that mandate.

However, it remains somewhat unclear whether or not that hosting directive extends from Ken Jennings onto the variety of others who served as guest hosts following Trebek’s death, from Aaron Rodgers to Robin Roberts to another former champ, Buzzy Cohen, who currently serves as a writer for the main series. The way the record-breaker sees it, though, it probably wouldn’t take much arm-twisting behind the scenes to convince the producers to bring Colin Jost in if he wanted to. As Jennings put it:

Blammo! We obviously can't count that as gospel just yet, since they're just Jennings' opinions and don't reflect either the show as a whole, or Jost's potential interest. However, it sounds like Jost asking about an appearance would be met with minimal blowback, if any. So how do we go about convincing him to do it? Is this a case where getting Michael Che to antagonize Jost about it on Weekend Update could successfully cause the writer/actor to agree to compete on the trivia series? It can't hurt to ask him, I guess.

Why Ken Jennings Thinks Colin Jost Could Excel At Jeopardy

Whether or not Colin Jost's Pop Culture Jeopardy! commitment makes him ineligible to try to win money for charity on the Celebrity edition, Jennings pointed out the pretty inarguable reason why he believes the Saturday Night Live mainstay would be a success. As he put it:

It's a stellar bit of evidence, and even though it's obviously possible for a non-comedic contestant to win out, the first three seasons of the tournaments were conquered by those most well-known for that genre.

• Season 1 winner: Ike Barinholtz
• Season 2 winner: Lisa Ann Walter
• Season 3 winner: W. Kamau Bell

It clearly doesn't hurt to be well-versed in what makes people laugh, though Ken believes it's less about the humor and more about how comedians' brains work. That certainly tracks for Jost, as it takes a lot of quick thinking and emotional stability to keep steady with Saturday Night LIve's Weekend Update segments for so many years on end. Not that reading jokes from a teleprompter or cue cards is indicative of trivia-related genius, but it's not evidence against, either.

First thing's first: someone needs to ask Colin Jost if he does actually ever want to compete on Celebrity Jeopardy! Are there any upcoming SNL guest hosts who could do it? Should we send him a singing telegram?

New episodes of Celebrity Jeopardy! air Friday nights on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET, and stream via Hulu subscription.

It’s a great time to be a Jeopardy! fan, as the postseason tournaments have concluded, and Ken Jennings has Season 42 rolling right along on the 2026 TV schedule. But for those of us who could never get enough of one of the best game shows of all time, Celebrity Jeopardy! is back for Season 4. This time around, the primetime tournament will welcome back All Stars from the previous three seasons, and Jennings spoke with CinemaBlend about that decision.

It will be great to see previous winners Ike Barinholtz, Lisa Ann Walter and W. Kamau Bell defend their titles against other worthy opponents, but some fans may argue that with just three seasons of Celebrity Jeopardy! under their belt, it’s a bit early to have an All-Star season. We asked Ken Jennings why they decided to bring back these fan favorites rather than find new famous faces, and there’s actually a smart reason. He said:

No shade to Wheel of Fortune, but I think Kathy Hilton’s exasperating appearance proved that you don’t have to actually know anything about the game to play Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. Celebrity Jeopardy!, on the other hand, requires at least basic trivia knowledge and the ability to keep cool during a fairly fast-paced game.

One would assume that booking a season’s worth of celebrities also poses a challenge for the Jeopardy! team because of their busy schedules, and Ken Jennings confirmed, saying:

Wow, talk about dedication. The crew and the Celebrity Jeopardy! contestants are even working on the weekend to make that money for charity. You have to respect that!

As much as I love to see which new batch of celebrities the game show has been able to pull each year, I think Ken Jennings makes a great point that this will be a very high-level season of Celebrity Jeopardy! (despite the weirdly touched-up poster of Ken Jennings used to promote it).

Viewers won’t have to worry as much about the stars’ trivia acumen, since they’ve already proven themselves, and there likely won’t be anyone as polarizing as comedian Hasan Minhaj to throw fans into a tizzy. So who will appear over Season 4’s 10 episodes? Check out the All-Star cast below:

• Ike Barinholtz (seeded into Semifinals)
• Lisa Ann Walter (seeded into Semifinals)
• W. Kamau Bell (seeded into Semifinals)
• Mark Duplass
• Rachel Dratch
• Andy Richter
• Macaulay Culkin
• Cynthia Nixon
• Margaret Cho
• Ray Romano
• Katie Nolan
• Mina Kimes
• Steven Weber
• Sean Gunn
• Roy Wood Jr.
• Patton Oswalt
• Robin Thede
• Mo Rocca
• Mira Sorvino
• Jackie Tohn
• Tim Simons

They may not be new, but it’s a great lineup all the same. Tune in when Celebrity Jeopardy! All Stars kicks off at 8 p.m. ET Friday, March 13, on ABC and streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.

It would be fair to say that Ken Jennings really upped his game when he went from one of the biggest winners in Jeopardy! history to being the legendary game show’s host a few years ago. Though it was certainly difficult to fill the hosting shoes of Alex Trebek after his death, Jennings and most fans have now adjusted to that major change. One recent change viewers are having a hard time getting over, however, is the oddly touched up picture of the host for Celebrity Jeopardy! All-Stars.

What Fans Are Saying About Ken Jennings’ Heavily Touched Up Poster For Celebrity Jeopardy! All-Stars

While it’s likely that audiences still have some differing thoughts about Ken Jennings as Jeopardy! host (and he will never be able to rock Alex Trebek’s CanFro aesthetic), it would be hard to say that the former contestant hasn’t settled into the gig pretty well. Obviously, this has meant lots of time on television for Jennings, including on the upcoming Celebrity Jeopardy! All-Stars, which will hit the 2026 TV schedule on March 13 (and can be watched with a Hulu subscription).

Unfortunately, whoever was in charge of putting the poster together for that event made some weird choices when it came to touching up the host’s face, and you can bet that fans have something to say about it. The retouching went more than a little bit overboard, and folks on reddit didn’t hold back when a user shared the poster and asked, “What is… too much airbrushing? Hilarious responses, of course, ensued:

• oh god they yassified ken LOL
• Yikes. So unnecessary too. He looks great as is
• Free my boy Ken from the shackles of beauty standards
• i know his name is ken, but did we really have to make him look like a barbie doll?
• I wonder if this is intentional because it's Celebrity Jeopardy
• Frankly, we need even more. I don’t want to recognize him. Make him a plastic Ken doll for all I care. More airbrushing. Just see how far we can take this.

To "yassify" just means to enhance a photo to a ridiculous degree, and, alright, I get it. You want folks to look their best, and with the background and that star Jennings is holding probably being completely manufactured, there will likely be some effort made to have him match his surroundings. But, as the photo at the top of this article proves (seeing as how it’s from the episode which aired yesterday, as of this writing), the man looks just fine and didn’t need to have this much retouching done to his face!

The issue with such touch ups is that they can easily go way too far, as we’ve even seen crazy things like Ariana Grande with extra fingers. So, while this isn’t that bad, it’s still not good. What really gets me is his mouth/chin area, which is so smooth as to be very non-human. Unless, that is, you kinda relate to the look, like the reddit user who left my absolute favorite comment:

Wow. Well, congrats to this person’s grandmother for being smooth like a dolphin into her elder years. May we all be so lucky, but without the “help” of overdone retouching!

At this point, Ken Jennings can most definitely be called a Jeopardy veteran. That’s arguably been the case since 2003/2004 when he had his original record-breaking winning streak on the legendary game show, but he can even be called a veteran as a host now as he goes into his third year with the gig. Even with all of that experience, however, the guy just can’t help but be a total Jeopardy geek, as well-illustrated by a recent social media activity.

Jennings treasures the history of the series and the legacy of the great Alex Trebek, and if you didn’t know that before, you can recognize it in a post he put on Instagram this week. Independently, the photo seems a bit out of left field, as it features the Jeopardy host in a mirror holding up a pink afro pick, but the caption offers delightful context: it’s the hair tool that Trebek used backstage to maintain what is lovingly referred to as “the CanFro (Canadian afro).” You can check out the post for yourself below:

This is such a weird treat. There probably isn’t any actual reason to keep that afro pick backstage, as I imagine that even Alex Trebek himself stopped using it once we got into the 21st century. That being said, it’s stuck around this long, so I can understand the impulse to keep it around as a positive token and a reminder of Jeopardy’s long history.

On another note: it’s really a shame that there aren’t backstage Jeopardy tours. It’s true that ordinary folks can get access to the show by submitting for tickets to be in the live studio audience, and there probably isn’t a whole lot to see beyond the main stage and dressing rooms (they don’t exactly have need for a prop department), but I can’t be the only fan who would be excited to take even a brisk 30-minute look around the set on the Sony Pictures lot. And I also imagine that there are other fun pieces of history that are kept around that are perhaps even cooler than Alex Trebek’s hair maintenance equipment.

While Ken Jennings has been posting about Alex Trebek’s afro pick, this has been a big week for Jeopardy, as it was just last night that contestant Paolo Pasco completed a three game sweep in the finals of the 2026 Tournament of Champions to be declared the big winner (and take home a prize of $250,000). And while that particular competition is now over, a new one begins today, as the 2026 Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament quarterfinal is now set to kick off with a game featuring returning competitors Matt Amodio, Drew Basile, and Karen Farrell.

Jeopardy! may be amongst the toughest and most venerated game shows of all time, but you can’t accuse it of never having any fun. Alex Trebek was even known to wear costumes at times to deliver clues, but on one day in particular, he went in the opposite direction and took the stage wearing no pants. Current host Ken Jennings rewatched that iconic moment and gave some fantastic context to what inspired Trebek’s bold prank.

The game in question occurred in 2005 during the taping of the Ultimate Tournament of Champions, with Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and Jerome Vered competing. The current host took a trip down memory lane recently and seemed almost as surprised to see a bottomless Alex Trebek as he must have been that day 20 years ago. Check out Jeopardy!’s video on Instagram:

Look at Alex Trebek, so ahead of his time in what would come to be called the “Zoom Mullet” (business on top, party on the bottom) 15 years later.

Ken Jennings noted that home viewers didn’t get as much of an eyeful as those in the studio did that day. The family-friendly quiz show cameras filmed the iconic game show host from the waist-up, not giving America the answer to the question they’d never thought to ask: Does Alex Trebek wear boxers or briefs?

But it wasn’t like the host simply stood up too fast from a WFH meeting. This look was an attempt to relieve some tension during a cutthroat competition that featured two of the would-be winningest champions in Jeopardy!’s history. As Ken Jennings explained:

Can I assume Ken Jennings’ classic “What is a hoe?” response is a close-second favorite memory? No?!

I absolutely love that Alex Trebek caught wind of the contestants discussing how no one could see them from behind the podium and decided to take matters into his own hands. As Ken Jennings pointed out in the video, they left Trebek high and dry, because:

It was worth it to see such gleeful expressions on Ken Jennings' and Brad Rutter’s faces, with the former even giving a “Wooo!” to the host for breaking some of the tension on a super stressful taping day.

Ken Jennings has said he does his best as the host to help contestants get over their nerves and loosen up to enjoy the moment (and saying “These nuts” so many times is probably also effective), but I doubt Jennings will ever go as far as to take the stage with no pants on. Alex Trebek was truly one of a kind.

Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! plays in your area, or catch episodes streaming the next day with either a Hulu subscription or a Peacock subscription.

I’ve been a Jeopardy! fan for years, regularly watching during my elliptical sessions at the gym, or with my mom and husband at home. I don't watch every single day, but I watch a lot, and I thought I knew quite a bit about the show. I know a lot about Ken Jennings’ tie wardrobe, for example, and even more about Johnny Gilbert’s recollections of late host Alex Trebek. But I did not realize one major fact about Jeopardy!: Contestants must pay their one way while on the show.

It was Jennings himself that illuminated this fact for me this week. He posted about the motel he’d stayed at in Culver City when he was a young and broke contestant on the show. The motel is closing now, so will no longer be a cheap spot for game show contestants moving forward, marking the end of an era.

I’d never even considered the idea that contestants pay their own way once in Tinseltown for taping, but Ken Jennings confirmed it was true when he was a contestant in 2004. And it remains true more than 25 years later as he has shifted into hosting duties.

Apparently, those involved with Jeopardy! have spoken out about this in the past, and in more recent years, with costs rising after Covid, the show has mentioned they are open to re-evaluating the way the show works. However, per what Jennings mentioned here, contestants are still having to get themselves to the show and take care of themselves during the duration of their respective runs, except in certain cases like tournaments.

Some Jeopardy! contestants have spoken about having to pay to get to the Sony Lot in Los Angeles, as well. So there’s info out there to be found if you are curious. However, despite being a fan of the long-running game show, this factoid had escaped my grasp. I think it’s fascinating anytime I learn an interesting behind-the-scenes fact about how a show works, and this cost-cutting measure is a really among the more interesting ones, in my opinion.

Not that I'd be able to even pass the Jeopardy! test to qualify, but this is the sort of fact that does make me less likely to want to go out for a game show. Now I'm looking into it, too, it's apparently common for certain other shows like Wheel of Fortune for contestants to be asked to pay their way. Though it’s worth mentioning Jennings ultimately won more than $4 million during his run, so sometimes there is a payoff in a big way, at least for Jeopardy''s biggest winners.

Anyway, I’m sure Ken Jennings is probably not missing the days when he stayed at Deano’s, particularly given he joked he was thankful he “never got murdered' there. But I’d be willing to bet hearing the motel had closed was still a little bittersweet.

There’s no one in the world more closely associated with trivia than Ken Jennings. The legendary Jeopardy player turned host has used his big brain to earn millions on various shows, but how often does he use it to win $25 gift cards to Chili’s?

Most people playing trivia aren’t doing it on Jeopardy! They’re doing it at local bars around the world, not to make a living but to pick up bragging rights and sometimes, a six pack of beer and a gift card to a nearby restaurant. During a recent audience Q&A on Jeopardy, Jennings was asked if he ever stops by a local bar to “stunt on those hoes” and show off how good he is? He was clearly very amused by the question but then gave a thoughtful answer..

There’s actually a parallel here with professional athletes, especially basketball players. You sometimes hear about the best NBA players stopping by Rucker Park or some other outdoor game to surprise the local players and play a little pick-up hoops. Most players don’t do that, however, because the dynamic can sometimes be very awkward (shoutout Adam Sandler). Everyone watching expects you to dominate, but the opposing players, fueled by adrenaline and perhaps their only chance to play a pro, sometimes play extremely hard and get very competitive.

Trivia obviously doesn’t have the same risk of injury, but there are many people who take it very seriously. There is also always an element of randomness to any knowledge based game. Jennings might know way more than me about most things, as an example, but there are certainly some random categories I would have the edge in because I have specialized knowledge and have spent more time engaging with the material. So, there’s always a very real risk of losing, especially within a small sample size.

Even if he’s not hitting up local trivia nights, Jennings has built a really good connection with his fellow trivia fans since he first went on that epic Jeopardy run. Despite some initial questions, he’s really settled into his role as Alex Trebek’s replacement host on Jeopardy, and at this point, it seems likely he’ll carry the mantle for decades to come. He also seems to be well-liked by the other high level trivia players and has a good rapport with the audience, as you can see in the video of the Q&A question that’s, of course, going viral.

Jennings’ funny answer is also reminding fans of perhaps his most iconic moment as a player on Jeopardy. The contestants were given a clue that asked for a term that means both a long-handled gardening tool and an immoral pleasure seeker. Jennings responded with, “What is a hoe?” but later found out they were looking for “rake.” The clip is perhaps the most shared in Jeopardy history, and for the record, he still thinks his response should have been counted. I do too.

You probably won't catch Jennings at your local bar for trivia night, but you can still catch him every week night hosting Jeopardy!

I think it’s safe to say that of all the best game shows in TV history, Jeopardy! holds itself to a certain standard. Fans are constantly fact-checking the clues, contestants are called out if they’re perceived as too cocky or disrespectful, and heck, even Matt Amodio — one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners — once had to fight off the pitchforks for responding to clues with “What’s …?” instead of “What is …?” Well, throw all that decorum out the window, because it turns out the show is all about “These nuts.”

What a strange sentence to write, especially in regards to Jeopardy!, but it is the truth. Someone on the game show’s team had the utterly brilliant idea to pull every clip of hosts Alex Trebek and Ken Jennings saying, “These nuts,” and I think somebody deserves a raise. Please channel your inner 12-year-old and enjoy the following piece of media:

I love that they kept the full clues in, as well as the contestants’ responses, because the context actually makes it funnier when the phrase in question is uttered (and we all learn a little something, right?). The longer the video plays, the more I giggled when Ken Jennings or Alex Trebek said, “These nuts,” especially hearing the different inflections required by the clue.

This is proof to me that you do your best work when you love your job. Nobody who’s trudging through another day at the office, counting down the minutes of their shift, is pitching a “These nuts” compilation video.

The Jeopardy! clue writers have often allowed their sense of humor to sneak into the show, whether that’s reminding Ken Jennings of his iconic “What is a hoe?” moment, having announcer Johnny Gilbert recite lyrics from rap songs, or getting Alex Trebek to present clues in costume. It’s rare, though, to see them go this blatantly juvenile, and I think it's great.

Fans also seem to be on board with the game show’s descent into this brand of humor, with YouTube comments including:

• That was utterly juvenile. I started laughing after the fourth or fifth one, and they got better after that – peterbyrne7348
• OMG, i died, i can't handle Alex Trebek saying "these nuts" so many times, but i also love it😂😂😂 – theonlymegumegu
• This is what the Jeopardy! fans want – vladiatorfilms4329
• It started out funny and somehow kept getting funnier every time – bassett_green
• Every single one was funny. I laughed EVERY time – BossiMomo
• I love that someone was paid money (hopefully) to do this. Delivering things we didn't even know we wanted like a true hero. – DJBillyQ
• I feel immature af for having laughed at every single time I heard Alex say it.😂😂😂😂😂 – supermcfly100

A lot of Jeopardy! fans seem to be realizing their sense of humor isn’t as mature as they thought.

Yes, Ken Jennings may show up in an impeccably paired suit and tie, requiring contestants to know everything from World Capitals to Opera to U.S. Presidents, but clearly nobody’s above having a little fun. Future contestants should be sure they’re up to par on their “Much Ado About Nutting” facts.

Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! airs in your area, or stream episodes the next with your Hulu subscription or Peacock subscription.

Since taking over as Jeopardy! host following Alex Trebek’s death, Ken Jennings has been giving fans some behind-the-scenes scoop on top of keeping Trebek’s legacy alive. The former Jeopardy! champ has revealed the story behind his ties and even asking the writers about his infamous “What is a hoe” answer all those years ago. Now he’s just revealed a major Jeopardy! consistency that I never thought about, but will now.

Jennings took to Instagram to share a piece of so-called “boring” Jeopardy! trivia that's actually pretty interesting. He revealed that the production numbers currently being used don’t actually square up with the total number of eps produced, which goes back to mistakes made decades ago.

Luckily, production makes sure that everyone knows the episode number by way of a giant screen behind the scenes. Check out his post below:

It’s not unusual for a show’s production count to not match the episode count, but that’s usually depending on when the episodes are filmed since that can be out of order. It’s unknown what exactly happened with the number inconsistency all those years ago, but it’s now going to be something I won’t stop thinking about. At the very least, everyone on the show knows how many episodes they’re truly on. I just wish there was a counter like that for the fans.

That being said, it is pretty crazy to see that Jeopardy! has just over 9,400 episodes under its belt. The series is arguably one of the best game shows of all time, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. It’s always fun to get little inside scoops of Jeopardy!, no matter how boring the trivia may be.

Some people may have their reservations about Jennings hosting, but he seems to be doing a pretty good job, even if taking over for Trebek was a big undertaking. He’s kept his legacy going, including using some of his ties, and the show also celebrated Trebek’s birthday with a sweet compilation video. Additionally, Jennings also knows what it’s like to be on the other side of the podium. He’s one of the biggest winners on Jeopardy! and isn’t embarrassed to look back on his own experience on the series, including roasting himself during his original run.

There will likely be much more boring Jeopardy! trivia shared, and I’m intrigued to find out what will be next. That episode count will seriously still be hanging on my mind for a while. If anything, there will be many more episodes to come that the “Current Jeopardy! Episode Count” screen will keep track of.

The 42nd season of Jeopardy! — one of the best game shows of all time — is well underway on the 2025 TV schedule, and regular watchers may have noticed something a little different happening with Ken Jennings. The host has been looking pretty spiffy this season, causing some fans to wonder if perhaps someone new was putting together his wardrobe. It turns out that’s not the case, but the real reason is even more interesting.

Former co-host Mayim Bialik once remarked that she had to deal with more feedback about her wardrobe than her male counterparts because they wore suits. I would have to respectfully disagree, because as a daily Jeopardy! watcher, I always take note of how Ken Jennings’ suit, shirt and tie coordinate with each other. Apparently I’m not the only one, either, because one Redditor got a pretty good discussion going about the current host’s bolder style this season. They wrote:

It’s been hard not to notice over the past month or so of new episodes that Ken Jennings is doing a lot of pattern-on-pattern looks, rather than his typical patterned tie over a solid shirt. It turns out it’s not because there was a change in stylist but rather because Jeopardy!’s tie collection has been digitized, theoretically making it easier to see what looks will work.

Ken Jennings himself explained this in an MTV Cribs-style video on Instagram, taking fans on a tour of “where the magic happens,” explaining:

I love that Alex Trebek’s costumer is still around, helping one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners follow in the legendary host’s footsteps. Ken Jennings then explained the upgrade that may have facilitated the snazzier shirt-and-tie combos:

Ties are so important, in fact, that sometimes they bring out one of Alex Trebek’s game-worn ties to inject a little more of the late host’s legacy onto the stage that is now named after him.

I love seeing Ken Jennings and Steven Zimbelman try out some bolder looks, and I’d say there have definitely been more hits than misses. As fun as it is to play with shirt and tie patterns, I don’t think Jennings will ever get as wild as Steve Harvey’s fashion game over on Family Feud. That would be amazing, though.

Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! plays in your area, or stream episodes the next day with a Hulu subscription or Peacock subscription.

Throughout Jeopardy!’s decades-long run, there have been some pretty great moments. We've gotten some wild answers, Easter Eggs involving late host Alex Trebek, and even some sweet moments. Now, host Ken Jennings is reflecting on his run as one of the biggest winners in Jeopardy! history, and his failed “What is a hoe” answer that is still iconic years later.

Back in 2004, amid his 74-game streak, Jennings responded incorrectly to a clue by saying, “What is a hoe?” It’s been 21 years since it happened, and it still gets brought up, including in June when a contestant gave that same response to a clue, and got it wrong. The host hilariously recalled how that answer never seems to be right, but one person believes it should have been accepted in 2004.

While Jennings was doing an “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit, a fan said they thought his response correctly answered the clue, which was “This term for a long-handled gardening tool can also mean an immoral pleasure seeker.” The actual answer was “Rake,” but I can see why Jennings thought it was “Hoe.” He’s still thinking about it after all these years, and admitted in his response that he’s previously brought it up with the head writers:

It’s the fact that the moment still haunts Ken Jennings so many years later that he decided to talk to the head writers about it, since they were on the show while he was a contestant, that really makes the entire thing. He might have gotten it wrong, but at least it’s ingrained in people’s minds as one of the most iconic moments on Jeopardy! And he was able to get a little bit more of an insight as to what the writers deem incorrect or correct, if a clue can technically have multiple answers.

There have definitely been some questionable responses throughout Jeopardy!’s run, but that just makes it all the more entertaining, especially if a contestant is confident in an answer that is completely incorrect. Then there are also the ones who have no confidence whatsoever and get it right (I find it particularly entertaining when this happens during Final Jeopardy! and someone wagers next to nothing, or in one contestant’s case, a sweet message to Alex Trebek).

It's very likely that another 20 years from now, “What is hoe?” will still be an iconic moment on Jeopardy!, but it will be interesting to see if anything can beat it. If anything, Jennings knows the story behind what happened with the clue and his answer, and it’s just another moment he can look back on and laugh, just like everyone else. But now I’m wondering if "hoe" will ever be the right answer. Perhaps someday.

It’s hard to believe nearly five years have passed since we lost one of the greatest game show hosts of all time in Alex Trebek. Since then, we’ve settled nicely into the Ken Jennings era of Jeopardy!, with the game’s greatest champion bringing his inexhaustible knowledge as the host. There’s one thing, though, that fans would love to see from Jennings in the late host’s honor.

The Jeopardy! Instagram page kicked off spooky season with a post honoring Alex Trebek and some of the fun costumes he wore on the show over the years. From Kiss rocker Gene Simmons to a sad clown, this man was an “absolute icon,” as noted by omgitsbowtie in the comments. Check out the post below:

Alex Trebek took the game of Jeopardy! seriously, but the videos above prove he didn’t shy away from having a little fun. In addition to setting the mood for October and hopefully inspiring some viewers’ own costumes, this Instagram post also inadvertently reminded fans of how long it’s been since we’ve seen cosplay from our host. Instagram user winstondrawart commented:

He wasn’t alone, either! Many fans of one of the all-time best game shows took the comments with similar requests, which included:

• I love this but it also makes me want to start a petition to see Ken Jennings in more costumes! – hannah.romero.21
• Alex has left a huge legacy including the many times he appeared in costume. We definitely need to see Ken do some dressing up too. – glenncooney
• Excited to see what Ken’s cooking up👀 – emma.nicole.g
• Ken Jennings, bring back the costumes! – ayeitsrj
• Can we get Ken in some costumes???!! – kl3pt0c4t

Looks like they’ve thrown down the gauntlet, Ken! Will you accept the challenge?

Just because Ken Jennings hasn’t dressed up in costume since he’s become the solo Jeopardy! host doesn’t mean he doesn’t have fun. He’s got no problem roasting himself — particularly his wardrobe on old 2004 episodes when he was in the midst of his 74-game win streak en route to becoming one of the biggest winners in Jeopardy! history.

He’s also a pretty good sport anytime his infamous “hoe-ment” gets a mention, which is probably more often than you’d think.

But that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t love to see him dress up for Halloween, or in service of a clue he might be able to deliver. I have to think any guy into dad jokes as much as Ken Jennings wouldn’t be so hard to convince — especially since it would be a tribute to Alex Trebek.

I’m not sure how far in advance Jeopardy! episodes are taped, but hopefully Ken Jennings saw this post before the Halloween taping and had time to prepare a costume. We’ll certainly be keeping our fingers crossed.

Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! airs in your area, or you can catch episodes streaming the next day with either a Hulu subscription or a Peacock subscription.

After making his mark on Jeopardy! with 74 consecutive wins, Ken Jennings has been making his mark on the show in a different way as a host. He took over as the long-running game show’s permanent host following the death of Alex Trebek, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s forgotten how it all started. He’s occasionally looked back at his time as one of the biggest winners in Jeopardy! history, and now he’s roasting himself from 20 years ago.

Jennings has changed a lot since his time as a Jeopardy! contestant and now as a Jeopardy! host, and it turns out, old episodes don’t age so well. In a hilarious way, that is. Jennings looked back at some of his interviews during his first run on the show, including one where he was asked by Trebek what his expectations were going into the show, and he admitted he didn’t have much faith and “didn’t want to be the guy naked going into Final Jeopardy!” Between that and his “bulky shirt,” Jennings had a lot of thoughts for his interview during his seventh appearance all those years ago:

A lot of Jennings’ comments about himself while watching his old interviews are about the shirts and ties that he’s worn. Like most people, his fashion has definitely changed, and it’s never fun looking back at those horrendous fashion choices from two decades ago. Not only that, but hearing his thoughts on the stories he told and how they came together really opens up a new perspective on the interview process on Jeopardy!

Speaking of interview stories, Jennings reacted to one where he was talking about his love for French toast after winning nine games. After commenting on his mistake of a tie, Jennings recalled the “good Jeopardy! story” he told about winning a contest after eating 108 pieces of French toast in one week. Although he said back then that he’s done with French toast, that wasn’t actually the case, and he did it for a good reason:

Considering Jennings won 74 straight games, there is a lot content that he can react to and look back on, whether fondly or in cringe. Of course, there was no way of knowing back then that he’d go on to win as many games as he did and host Jeopardy! after Alex Trebek, who is one of the best game show hosts ever. It is always fun seeing him go back to that time, though, including over the summer when he referenced his viral “Hoe-ment” in 2004.

Jeopardy! has had a lot of viral moments over the years, and even if they don’t always age well, they’re fun to look back on, and it seems Jennings feels the same way. It does make me wonder what other viral moments the show will have in the future, and if any will harken back to his early days on the show.

Jeopardy! continues to be one of the best game shows ever, even after Alex Trebek’s death in 2020. Most people love the current host, Ken Jennings, who is a long-running Jeopardy! champ himself. That being said, the series still keeps Trebek’s legacy alive by filming at the stage named after him and doing things like celebrating his birthday with a funny video that would make anyone emotional. Now Jennings is sharing another sweet Easter Egg that honors the former host's legacy, and it's making me emotional.

Jennings has opened up in the past about what it’s been like to host Jeopardy! after Trebek, and even admitted he thought that the late game show host would not have loved the hosting brouhaha that happened before Jennings was picked as his permanent replacement. Luckily, there are a lot of things that Trebek would have probably definitely loved, including Jennings occasionally wearing his ties, as he shared on Instagram:

It’s such a small gesture, but it’s so significant. The fact that the wardrobe department even still has some of Trebek’s ties after all this time, and that Jennings sometimes wears them, is getting me in my feels. Of course, while Trebek’s presence is likely felt throughout the stage regardless, the current host wearing one of his ties makes it all the more special. Plus, it’s like he is truly there still behind the podium, even though he isn’t.

How many ties the wardrobe department has that belong to Trebek is unknown, but it seems to be enough to have them on rotation every once in a while. It also wouldn’t be surprising if some items of Trebek’s were still lying around the stage as another layer to the atmosphere to make it feel like he’s still around.

Now, I feel like every time I watch Jeopardy! I’m going to wonder if the tie Jennings is wearing belongs to Trebek. And I think that guessing game will be very fun. However, I also hope that the current host gives us a tie haul at some point, so we can get a good look at the various Trebek ties he wears during tapings.

Alex Trebek is one of the best game show hosts ever, and to see Jeopardy! carrying on his legacy in different ways is sweet. The series has been around for a long time, and Jennings has only been hosting for less than five years. However, another part of Trebek’s lasting legacy is that Jeopardy!’s format will not be changing under Jennings’ watch, and that makes me happy.

Meanwhile, Ken Jennings is creating his own legacy at Jeopardy! Although there are still some people who don’t really care for him, he has proven to be a good replacement. He even had a cameo in Happy Gilmore 2. Obviously, no one is able to replace Trebek, but Jennings was certainly the right fit and knows how to keep his predecessor’s memory alive.

Did you know that Ken Jennings hosts a great podcast called Omnibus for trivia nerds? Sure, he has become a staple of the 2025 TV schedule as the host of Jeopardy! and even before he was the host, most people still knew him best from his time as the winningest champion (a record which he thinks could be broken) in the iconic game show’s history.

Jeopardy! is certainly where I first knew him from, of course, but today, not only am I a fan of his hosting work on the show, I’m an even bigger fan of his podcast, The Omnibus Project, or simply Omnibus, alongside his co-host, John Roderick. Here’s why everyone who loves history and trivia should be tuning in each week.

Years Before He Was Named Host Of Jeopardy!, Jennings Started A Podcast

The premise of Omnibus is that the two hosts are “preserving” bits of history that they worry could be lost to the sands of time. They are building a time capsule to protect those stories so that when the tapes are discovered in the distant future, “futurelings,” as the show describes them, can learn about these historical tidbits. With wide-ranging topics, like Dungeons and Dragons, the 1904 Olympic marathon, The Great Bell of Dhammazedi, and U.S. mail trucks, the show does deep dives into the history of each and why it’s so important that they be remembered.

The show releases new episodes weekly on Thursdays, after being launched in late 2017. I discovered the show very early in the COVID lockdowns in the spring of 2020, and I’ve been a die-hard listener ever since. Like Jennings, I’m part of what he describes as the “last generation that can justify having nerdy interests,” I love esoteric history and trivia facts, and Omnibus scratches those itches like no other podcast I’ve found. If you love weird history, tuning into “America’s smartest boy” (as Roderick called Jennings) and getting some deep knowledge on things you may never have heard of is a must.

It’s Also A Great Way To Hear A Different Side Of Jennings

Omnibus has a very laid-back approach. The show usually starts with Jennings and Roderick just riffing on whatever comes to mind. This can go on for a long time and is often the most fun bit of the show. It’s not usual for it to take 30 minutes or more to finally come around to the topic of the show, and for me, that’s a great thing. The hosts never seem to know where the conversation will take them, but in a great way.

Both hosts have a plethora of random knowledge, and their chemistry is fantastic. John Roderick is a musician and podcast host from Seattle who became friends with Jennings years before they decided to do a show together, and their friendship is a big part of that chemistry. They talk about their family lives, including Ken Jennings’ wife, Mindy, and his two children. As Jeopardy! doesn’t often allow viewers to see a more personal side of Jennings, who admits even he doesn’t like the “cringy” interviews, it’s great to hear how witty and funny he is, as is Roderick.

So as you patiently wait for Jeopardy! to finally start streaming, which you’ll be able to watch with a Peacock subscription in September, search for John Roderick and Ken Jennings’ podcast, Omnibus, and listen. I think you’ll love it.

It’s nearly impossible to keep up with all of the cameos and callbacks in Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2, which has remained in Netflix’s top movies since premiering on the 2025 movie calendar. The sequel even pays tribute to the actors we’ve lost since the 1996 film, including Bob Barker, after The Price Is Right host’s iconic fight scene. This time around, Jeopardy! — another of the best game shows of all time — was represented, and Ken Jennings opened up about his appearance.

Ken Jennings went on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast to discuss his appearance in the new Netflix movie, in which Happy Gilmore’s daughter, Vienna (played by Adam Sandler’s daughter Sunny), is watching Jeopardy! and sees a clue pop up about her dad, whose name no one can remember. As outlandish as most of the movie is, it seems the scenario that Adam Sandler’s character faced isn’t actually that uncommon. Jennings said:

Nobody wants to be a triple-stumper. (I mean, imagine how then-77-year-old Diana Ross felt when two contestants named her for the clue looking for a 95-year-old singer.)

Since Happy watched all of this play out on a screen, it means Adam Sandler was not actually present when the Jeopardy! scene was filmed on the Alex Trebek Stage. However, Happy Gilmore 2’s star and co-writer was still involved in the scene in a really cool way, as Ken Jennings revealed:

Ken Jennings may not have gotten to meet the Sandman, but hearing him on the phone shout out different jokes must have been a priceless experience for the Jeopardy! crew. Producer Sarah Foss further described the shoot, saying:

The clip is played pretty straight — it almost felt like it could have been lifted from a regular game of Jeopardy! — with none of three contestants being able to grasp the golfer's name:

The way Ken rejected all of those answers before informing the players, “He IS Jewish, but we were looking for Happy Gilmore,” made me laugh out loud, and with Adam Sandler being on the phone feeding them lines, I just KNOW there is a supercut somewhere of all the different responses they tried. Release the outtakes, I’m begging you!

Ken Jennings said that he must have watched the first Happy Gilmore movie a hundred times, and he “could not be more honored” to have been included in the sequel, even for just a “tiny cameo.” As a Jeopardy! fan, I was certainly delighted to see it.

Happy Gilmore 2 is available to stream now with a Netflix subscription, and be sure to check out what other upcoming Adam Sandler movies are in the works.

I’ve been watching Jeopardy! with my husband for years now, and thanks to the advent of TiVo, then DVR and now streaming, there’s one part of the series we generally skip: The bit where host Ken Jennings asks questions about the contestant’s personal lives. Turns out, even the game show host himself thinks the gimmick is “cringey” and he’s OK saying it out loud.

As the host of Jeopardy! for a whopping four and a half years on the TV schedule, Ken Jennings knows a thing or two about interviewing three people onstage in a row. The context is often a little different. For example, some of these people last multiple episodes. Some are only there for one half hour of fun before losing to someone better at the buzzer.

If you were to ask Jennings, the chit-chat is definitely not his favorite part of hosting the show. He spilled the beans to “Lovett or Leave It,” noting:

I’ve long wondered what the purpose of the mini personal interviews was, but I’ve always guessed it’s so the audience can learn a little more and invest in a particular person, or maybe to give the show editing options to help land the perfect runtime. As Jennings pointed out, the Jeopardy! interview has long been a staple of the show, no matter how much he hates it.

I can relate with going out of the room as a kid when my family was watching something cringey on the TV, but despite Jennings usually being pretty candid, I'm still surprised the man said this in public. If you want to see his fully visceral reaction, check it out below.

I also think it's really funny in the clip when Jennings pointed out people talk a lot about their "cats," because I'd say cats are the no. 1 thing I can recall people talking about during personal interviews on the show. These are smart people who are onstage to try and answer as much trivia as possible. They aren't usually telling fun, anecdotal stories or trying to be funny. (Though sometimes Jeopardy! contestants are inadvertently hilarious.) So instead, we get cats. Lots and lots of cats.

To each his or her own, but I'm basing who I'm rooting for on their competence at trivia and whether or not they are strong in categories similar to myself. Not how they feel about their cats.

The "cringey" gimmick doesn't take away from the fact Jeopardy is still one of the best game shows ever, but I'd love to see it one day skip the anecdotes and maybe give us something cool and new to see, like a bonus video question with celebrities on camera or something. For now, though, the popular game show host has and will continue to make it work.

Spoilers for Matt Damon and Ken Jennings run on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire are ahead!

Well, they did it. Ken Jennings and Matt Damon won Who Wants to Be a Millionaire; however, I can’t say I’m shocked. As these episodes aired on the 2025 TV schedule, I fully expected Jeopardy’s host and Jimmy Kimmel’s faux nemesis to win, and they did. However, when asked about the challenges of playing on this game show, the Jeopardy legend didn’t mince his words as he said it felt like “teetering over an Indiana Jones death pit.”

The A-list actor and one of Jeopardy’s biggest winners became the third team of celebrities to win the million dollars. However, it wasn’t all easy work. They had to use their lifelines – Jennings brilliantly called out of its traps last week, by the way – and they had to talk through their options. It wasn’t a total walk in the park, and the Jeopardy! host opened up about that while comparing the game show he hosts with the one he just won, telling TV Insider:

I totally get what Jennings is saying. On the surface, since Jeopardy! is not multiple choice, it seems objectively harder. Also, you don’t play for a single amount of money; you keep playing until you lose, so it can require a different kind of endurance.

However, Millionaire has higher short-term stakes. If you miss a question, you don’t just lose money, you’re out for good. So, there’s no room for error, whereas on Jeopardy! you can miss a question or two, you just need to make sure you’re not in the red before the final round.

So, on Millionaire, you do have to take bigger swings, and I agree that it can feel like “you’re teetering over an Indiana Jones death pit.” Thankfully, though, Jennings had someone he could talk his proverbial swings out with, much to Jimmy Kimmel’s hilarious chagrin.

To that point, much like how Matt Damon complimented his partner’s intelligence, Jennings spoke highly of the Good Will Hunting star. He said that having a partner on the show really did make it better, explaining:

Well, teamwork, luck and experience playing some of the best game shows certainly paid off big time, as Jennings and Damon ultimately won the million for the actor’s charity water.org.

Meanwhile, we got a good show out of it, too. The episodes, which you can now stream both with a Hulu subscription, were wickedly entertaining. We got to see Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon’s rivalry on full blast, we got to witness the actor and Jennings kick butt at trivia, and in the end, we got to see them win a bunch of money that’s going to a great cause. So, it was a win-win all around, even though it made the Jeopardy! icon feel like he was “teetering over an Indiana Jones death pit” at times.

Spoilers ahead for the July 30 episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on ABC, available streaming next day with a Hulu subscription.

Shenanigans were bound to ensue on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire as soon as Matt Damon showed up to partner with Jeopardy legend Ken Jennings in the 2025 TV schedule, since Jimmy Kimmel wasn't going to let a little thing like hosting a primetime game show stop him from reigniting their feud. That said, celebrities playing WWTBAM is all about charity, and even Kimmel seemed to be rooting for the duo as they approached the $1 million. They ultimately became just the third team of celebrities to ever win the top prize, and Damon was honest about how they got there.

The odds seemed good for Ken Jennings and Matt Damon to win the $1 million when they first appeared on WWTBAM last week, with Jennings calling out a lifeline trap and Damon going along for the ride while trading some gentle barbs with Jimmy Kimmel.

The top prize for water.org was in reach after they used their lifeline option to ask the host who fit the bill for the $500,00 question of "With another career path already established, who got his first taste of the entertainment world when he entered a Steve Martin look-alike contest?" Miraculously, Kimmel easily answered that Bill Nye was the lookalike guy, leading to the $1 million question:

"Which of these words is often used to describe one of the most beautiful auditory effects on Earth: the sound made by the leaves of trees when wind blows through them?"

• A. Apricity
• B. Petrichor
• C. Susurrus
• D. Eudaemonia

Never have I felt more in sync with Matt Damon than in the moment during WWTBAM when he honestly told Ken Jennings that "I got nothing" after Jennings explained why he was pretty sure the answer was C. Sussurus. I didn't even know there was a word for that beautiful auditory effect, and I think Damon was on the same page based on his reaction.

All it took was the 50/50 lifeline, and Ken Jennings was confident enough in Sussurus that Matt Damon was confident as well. Jimmy Kimmel described the outcome as "the least dramatic million dollar moment in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire history" when the duo won the $1 million, while Damon had a seriously relatable reaction:

Considering that Ken Jennings held the record for highest-earning American game show contestant for more than two decades, still ranks #2 among the ten biggest winners in Jeopardy history, and is the current host of Jeopardy, I doubt anybody could argue against Matt Damon saying it was "awesome" to be his Who Wants to Be a Millionaire partner!

All in all, I was prepared to watch twenty or so mediocre minutes of Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon feuding while Ken Jennings did the heavy lifting, but I had fun with their half of the episode. The old spark was back between Kimmel and Damon, and Jennings and Damon turned out to be a great duo. Yes, Jennings did indeed do the heavy lifting of trivia, but I wouldn't call their segment mediocre! Besides, when the $1 million is for charity, even a long-running famous feud has to take a backseat.

While the world may change and calendars chronicling things like the upcoming 2025 TV schedule move along, some things are shining constants in our world. The presence of Jeopardy (which will finally start streaming in September) is one such recurring thread, which sees its host, Ken Jennings, staying on top of the knowledge pyramid every weeknight. Sadly, there is a downside to how contestants, and the world at large, continue to consume information - and Mr. Jennings recently shared how this loss has caused a bit of sadness.

Leave it to one of the biggest winners in Jeopardy history to highlight pop culture hyperfocus as a current trend that acts as a double-edged sword. Starting with the positives of being an expert on any given subject or niche, Ken Jennings offered The Los Angeles Times these positives:

What some would call “nerd culture” does exist in a very different space in our modern culture. I’m still shocked when I see people who may have mocked my middle school obsession with Star Wars quoting The Mandalorian, proudly displaying their kids holding Grogu stuffies.

To move away from that sort of shaming is the sort of thing that gives nerds like me and Mr. Jennings hope for the future. It also keeps Disney+ subscription numbers at a healthy level, which in turn helps people learn more about their favorite pockets of fictional history.

Alas, this is where our Jeopardy quiz master shares that “loss” that he’s been mourning. Flipping the coin of knowledge to the other side, Ken Jennings provided the one thing that the obsessive mentality has robbed from contestants of the present and potential future:

It seems that the “know-it-alls” of the world still seem to be suffering in a very bespoke way. Only the problem this time is the fact that the sort of mindset that would see a person studying up on any and all corners of general interests has shifted to being an expert in a handful of areas.

That sort of approach changes the candidate pool radically for the long-running quiz show. It could also reduce the likelihood of long-running champions like Ken Jennings, Amy Schneider, or the latest Jeopardy superchamp, Scott Riccardi. Thankfully, it's a problem that can be corrected, especially with someone like Jennings ringing the proverbial alarm bells.

Which leads to one of the best ways an aspiring brain box can keep their mental libraries fully stocked - watching more Jeopardy! So be sure to check your local listings before buzzing in at home, and always be sure to phrase your answer in the form of a question.

Fans are always asking Ken Jennings — one of Jeopardy’s biggest winners — if he thinks his 74-game win streak from 2004 will ever be broken, and while current champion Scott Riccardi isn’t quite knocking on that door just yet, his run on the 2025 TV schedule has drawn quite a bit of attention. Jennings discussed the current buzz surrounding one of the best game shows ever, and there’s something ominous about his comment.

On July 24, Scott Riccardi won his 16th game of Jeopardy!, tying him at No. 10 in the record books for Consecutive Games Won. Enthusiasm started to build around the New Jersey engineer when he became an official super champion — a moniker bestowed to contestants with double-digit victories — and Ken Jennings spoke to TV Insider about whether he thinks his record is in ... jeopardy. He said:

Ken Jennings admitted to having to temper his emotions a bit as host of the game show, though. He certainly can’t be cheering for one contestant over the others, which he recognized, continuing:

I understand that Ken Jennings has to let the home audience know where the champion stands, what the stakes are, whether they’re close to any records, etc. However, I also sometimes get the feeling when these kinds of statistics are given at the top of a game that it’s a bit like calling out a no-hitter in progress. Like the host’s mere mention of a streak will jinx it.

Also, is it just me, or does Ken Jennings’ final thought on the matter sound a bit foreboding? He concluded:

Ken Jennings sounds a bit devious here, but it is true. Death, taxes and losing on Jeopardy! are life’s only certainties, as ole Ben Franklin would say. Speaking of Benjamins, as of Thursday, July 24, Scott Riccardi had accumulated a whopping $455,000.

Jeopardy! Season 41 ends with the Friday, July 25, game, so we’ll have to wait to see if that “ironclad law” is enacted in this cycle, or if Scott Riccardi is given a reprieve to continue his run into next season, when episodes will also be available for next-day streaming with either a Hulu subscription or a Peacock subscription. Check your local listings to see when the game show airs in your area.

Spoiler alert! This story discusses the Season 4 premiere of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which aired on July 23. Stream the episode with a Hulu subscription if you don’t want to know how the celebs did.

A new season of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is underway on the 2025 TV schedule, and the talent in the premiere was impressive to say the least. Ken Jennings brought Matt Damon out in a quest to donate seven figures to charity, and I admitted going in that I’d be disappointed if they walked away with anything less than $1 million. However, the Jeopardy! host ended up exceeding my expectations by avoiding one specific pitfall when it comes to the “Ask the Audience” lifeline.

As Jimmy Kimmel pointed out multiple times during the episode (in reference to his infamous feud with Matt Damon), Ken Jennings did not need a partner to help him on one of the best game shows of all time, but it’s certainly more fun to see the celebs have someone to talk out their answers with. However, that’s where many get in trouble with the “Ask the Audience” lifeline, and I was so relieved to hear Jennings say this upon seeing the $250,000 question:

Ken Jennings, you are one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners for a reason. This has been a huge pet peeve of mine on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, hearing the celebrity contestants explain all the reasons why they’re leaning toward one answer or another before asking the audience what they think. OF COURSE, they’re going to second-guess their own knowledge and go with the celeb’s logic.

Matt Damon and Ken Jennings, however, kept it quiet, with the Jeopardy! GOAT deciding:

Jimmy Kimmel praised their “smart strategy” of not leading the audience in a specific direction by sharing their thoughts out loud, and it worked! The audience collectively confirmed what Ken Jennings and Matt Damon were both thinking. If they’d talked it out beforehand, there would have been no way to know if the audience members actually knew which animal engaged in “vertical sleeping” or if they were just trusting the smarts of the celebs on stage.

This very issue plagued Drew Carey and Aisha Tyler in the first half of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’s premiere. This was another pair who had the potential to go the distance, with Carey winning $500,000 in his first appearance on the show back in 2000 and Aisha Tyler competing on Celebrity Jeopardy! multiple times.

However, they talked at length about their $32,000 question and whether Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Tina Turner or Britney Spears had more No. 1 Billboard Top 100 hits and even almost picked Spears before turning to the audience for help. I was shouting at the TV not to do it, and of course, the “Toxic” singer got the majority of the poll responses (rather than Houston), handing the Whose Line Is It Anyway? hosts a quick exit.

Jimmy Kimmel joked that he blamed the audience for leading them astray, but Drew Carey recognized their mistake, saying:

I’m so glad Ken Jennings and Matt Damon didn’t follow suit. As for whether they took home the million, we’ll have to wait and see. The episode ended ahead of their $500,000 attempt, so tune in when Who Wants to Be a Millionaire returns at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, July 30, on ABC.

I’m just hoping that future contestants are paying attention and will follow Ken Jennings’ Millionaire strategy.

The game of Jeopardy! hasn’t changed much over the past four decades, with a formula that makes it one of the best game shows of all time. In fact, there’s plenty to keep it from going stale, as Season 41 continues on the 2025 TV schedule, and this week alone has gifted us with two unforgettable moments. In addition to possibly one of the biggest coincidences in Jeopardy! history, we also got a fantastic callback to one of Ken Jennings’ most viral moments as a player.

Champion Reveals Unbelievable Connection To Final Jeopardy! Clue

This week started off wild, as Emily Croke secured the win on June 23 after correctly responding to the Final Jeopardy! clue that read: “In 1896, the Vassar-educated wife of this man wrote, ‘Thousands of dollars may be paid for a copy of Shakespeare.’” The answer was Henry Clay Folger, and home viewers saw Croke get the win and advance to the next day’s game.

What audiences didn’t see was Ken Jennings’ post-game interview with the champ, where Emily Croke revealed that the “Vassar-educated wife” referenced in the clue was Emily Folger, or — as revealed on Jeopardy!’s Instagram page:

In fact, not only was Emily Croke related to the couple in the clue, she was actually named after the distant relative. What are the chances that that specific clue would show up on her very first game? I’m even impressed that Croke was so knowledgeable about her lineage (I certainly don’t know about my own great-great-great aunt’s accomplishments).

It’s kind of a mind-boggling, this-is-all-just-a-simulation occurrence, but that’s not where the fun ended.

Ken Jennings Hilariously References His Viral Playing Moment

Ken Jennings may be the venerable host of Jeopardy! now, as well as one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners, but back in 2004, he suffered a pretty embarrassing moment on the quiz show, when he responded incorrectly to a clue by saying, “What is a hoe?” That moment made an amusing comeback in the June 25 game.

In the category “This Is Not a Drill,” the $400 clue read: "A tool with an angled blade to get unwanted plants out at the root is called a Cape Cod type of this." Yeah, you can see where this is going. Contestant Micah Fritz buzzed in with the response:

Unfortunately, the answer Ken Jennings was looking for was “What is a weeder?,” but even funnier than the unexpected repeat of history was the former super-champion’s reaction. Jennings told Micah Fritz:

Two decades ago, when Ken Jennings made the mistake, he was responding to the “Tool Time” category clue: "This term for a long-handled gardening tool can also mean an immoral pleasure seeker." Alex Trebek was looking for “Rake,” not “Hoe.”

It actually wasn’t that long ago that the writers executed some A+ trolling of Ken Jennings by referencing this very viral moment in a clue that featured a man wearing a sandwich board. The stock image had been modified to include the phrase “What is a hoe?” on the board.

It seems like this could serve as a cautionary tale to future Jeopardy! contestants to never guess, “What is a hoe?,” but I feel like the writers are definitely biding their time and waiting for the right moment to insert the gardening tool into its field of trivia.

Stay vigilant, Jeopardy! viewers, and it also might not be a bad idea to brush up on your extended family history. Check your local listings for when the game show plays in your area, and starting this fall, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune will be available to stream the next day with either a Hulu subscription or a Peacock subscription.

For some Jeopardy! contestants, it can be just as important to show off one’s style as it is to show off one’s intellect. (Okay, maybe not just as important.) Though not all players invest heavily in their on-screen look, current Jeopardy! Masters fan fave Isaac Hirsch has been celebrated by game show fans for bringing snazzy throwback vibes to the 2025 TV schedule.

Hirsch opens up a bit about his fascination in an exclusive clip below from the upcoming Masters episode, pointing out a particular ‘70s TV legend as an inspiration.

For those who are unable to watch the clip, read on!

Isaac Hirsch's Style Icon Idol

During what I assume will be a tense quarterfinals match-up between Hirsch, Roger Craig, and Juveria Zaheer, Ken Jennings took the time during the Q&A portion to get the Burbank native to talk about what fuels his fashion choices, pointing out that fans online have thought since he first arrived on the scene that he had quite a cool style. (To which Hirsch amusingly points out that it might have been “cool” 50 years ago, which lines right up with Jennings’ age.)

Getting more specific, Isaac Hirsch pointed to a classic TV star’s appearances on an equally classic ‘70s staple as his guiding light, saying:

While younger generations of Jeopardy! fans may be less familiar with Robert Culp, those who grew up during the 1960s-1980s have no doubt watched Culp in action across a variety of series and films. Perhaps most notably, he co-starred with Bill Cosby in the cop drama I Spy, and opposite William Katt in The Greatest American Hero, while also recurring on Everybody Loves Raymond. But he was also highly celebrated for his appearances as various characters on Columbo, with two of those spots highlighted below.

Not to rain all over anyone's parade here, since Robert Culp was indeed a dashing gent right up until his death in 2010, but I think Isaac Hirsch has already reached the level that Culp reached, and may indeed surpass his fashion idol by the time his Jeopardy! days are through. Which hopefully won't be for a long while yet.

Hirsch did disclose that there are instances where he will purposefully avoid donning his '70s-friendly wardrobe, and it's all about avoiding big messes. As he put it:

To be fair, one of the things I like best about wearing shirts with loud and wild patterns is the fact that one can spill on them without it necessarily being the most obvious. Not that I'm clumsy or anything. [Whistles innocently.]

And hey, if Isaac ends up bowing out of Jeopardy! Masters earlier than anticipated and isn't keen on returning to compete, he can always take on the gig that Ken Jennings thinks he looks best for:

• "A 1970s children’s TV host."

I can't really knock that choice at all. I'm not sure how anyone would do going from the best game show ever to the world of classic kids TV shows, but I'd watch, despite being too old for whatever it would be. Unless it's like Kids Jeopardy! or something. Then I'd look like a genius.

This season’s Jeopardy! Masters came without its central villain James Holzhauer, though the Vegas native did stoke Jennings’ rivalry with Brad Rutter ahead of the latter’s return. Matt Amodio also stepped up his own antagonistic behavior while trying to outfox the competition. And all the while, Isaac Hirsch is just standing there looking like a million bucks. And a million dollars in 1970 would be $6.88 million today, because inflation.

Check out Hirsch telling his fashion story live when Jeopardy! Masters airs on ABC tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET.

When Jeopardy! Masters hit the 2025 TV schedule last week, longtime fans were stoked to see Brad Rutter — the biggest winner in Jeopardy! history — return to the Alex Trebek Stage. After he turned down offers to appear in the JIT for the past couple of years, this was Rutter’s first time behind the podium since Ken Jennings beat him in 2020’s GOAT Tournament, and apparently we have their fellow GOAT contestant James Holzhauer to thank for bringing these old rivals face-to-face.

The three finalists from last year’s Masters — Victoria Groce, Yogesh Raut and James Holzhauer — were among the nine invited to compete on the third season of the elite tournament on ABC (and streaming with a Hulu subscription). However, much to my enormous dismay, Holzhauer was missing from the lineup. As executive producer Michael Davies explained in a behind-the-scenes blog:

I had no idea it was actually James Holzhauer’s idea to get Brad Rutter to come out of his five-year hiatus, and I’m so grateful that he did. (In a perfect world, we would have had them both, since they have Jeopardy! beef as well, but I digress.)

Jeopardy! greats Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter have shared the stage several times as competitors, including when Rutter beat the would-be host in the 2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions, when they were both beat by IBM’s Watson in 2011, when Rutter bested Jennings in the 2014’s Battle of the Decades, and when Team Brad beat Team Ken in Jeopardy! All-Star Games in 2019. Michael Davies continued:

When you look at how many times Brad Rutter has come out on top of Ken Jennings over the years, it’s no wonder Jennings has been ducking a GOAT rematch. In fact, it wasn’t until 2020’s Greatest of All Time Tournament that Jennings finally got revenge on his richer but less-famous counterpart. He won the first game, becoming the first human to ever beat Rutter, with James Holzhauer taking Game 2, then Jennings finishing the best-of-3 series with victories in Games 3 and 4.

I absolutely loved seeing these two come together again, and you can tell Brad Rutter’s ready to reignite the friendly rivalry, as he gave Ken Jennings hell for bringing up the 2020 tournament and said he planned to “make fun of” the host a bit while he’s there.

It may have been Brad Rutter’s first game in five years, but Michael Davies certainly didn’t ease him back into the competition upon his long-awaited return. Rutter was immediately pitted against last year’s Masters champ Victoria Groce (complete with green jacket) and runner-up Yogesh Raut. Rutter struggled on the buzzer, which isn’t really a surprise, and he finished in third place for no match points.

I’m still happy to have him back on the Alex Trebek Stage, especially reuniting with Ken Jennings. I do wish James Holzhauer was there with them, but I will just remain grateful that the game show villain decided to use his powers (and his absence) for good this time around.

Jeopardy! Masters continues at 9 p.m. ET Wednesdays on ABC and streaming the next day on Hulu.

The idea that we’re coming up on five years without Alex Trebek is likely mind-boggling to many Jeopardy! fans. Trebek’s 37-year run on the historic game show made the program a nightly staple for millions, which continued even after his passing. As Jeopardy! eventually sorted through its guest-host brouhaha, and dropped Mayim Bialik as co-host in late 2023, Ken Jennings ultimately emerged as the sole successor, and is weighing in on those turbulent times and what it was like to take over for the beloved late icon.

The syndicated game show definitely found its footing since, and is going strong, with Jeopardy! Masters debuting its latest season on the 2025 TV schedule. #2 on the list of all-time biggest Jeopardy! winners, Jennings revealed to People that mini-era was complex to maneuver because of everyone mourning Trebek’s tragic passing, himself included, and knowing that no one could be a true one-to-one replacement. As he put it:

He’s not wrong. Trebek’s death was hard to process, and led to many conversations about how the show could move forward without hiim. I can’t imagine being in a position similar to the 50-year-old Jennings at the time, with many fans calling for him to take over, even though the studio wasn't immediately on board. And even though he was initially skittish about taking over arguably the best game show ever, Jennings took the plunge and hasn't really looked back.

Jennings jumped into his more intimate perspective at the time, sharing he wasn’t ready to let go of the legend. In the end, though, he knew he’d watch the late entertainer enough that he could use his knowledge of what Trebek would’ve done to pick up the hosting torch. And now that it’s been a few years, he’s feeling more confident than ever before:

Since the new job duties were assigned, we’ve seen Jennings slowly become more confident behind that podium. Even still, fans have varying opinions of him as lead, and he’s okay with that because he knows this demographic is notoriously tuning in for what they become famliar with over the years decades. We all knew this period would be an odd feeling and new, and it’s great to know he also recognized it wouldn’t be a quick process. But there continues to be plenty of good signs for this new age continuing to bridge the gap, and he has no plans of changing Jeopardy!’s format.

Be sure to tune into Jeopardy! Masters' new episodes airing on ABC every Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Ken Jennings has been at the forefront of Jeopardy!’s hosting duties by his lonesome since late 2023, when former co-host Mayim Bialik was dropped for the sole host model. So far, he hasn’t seen anyone come close to breaking his 74-game win streak, but anything can happen on this show. Well, so long as it doesn’t radically alter the format that the late, great Alex Trebek stuck with for his 37-season run.

Indeed, while Jennings is certainly quippier behind the lectern than Trebek was in his later years (or possibly ever), and asks contestants sillier questions during the mid-round meet-and-greet, his reign on the all-time great game show has largely resembled that of his predecessor. Sure, there are more tournaments now, but that’s the handiwork of executive producer Michael Davies, and not Jennings himself. In fact, when asked by People about any potential changes on the way, Jennings was quick to point out why the show shouldn't change, saying:

I totally get his point. Even though the Jeopardy!'s production as a whole has evolved over time — with changes made to the podiums, the backgrounds, the clue board and more — the basics of the game have remained the same without many fan requests to alter that streak. The 30-clue rounds and question-based answering have been tenets since Alex Trebek's earliest days, and not even announcer Johnny Gilbert's delivery has changed much in the past 40 years.

I suppose one of the biggest swings that Jeopardy! has taken with format and gameplay adjustments came when Celebrity Jeopardy! added a third round with $300-$1,500 clue amounts. But that's only for the primetime spinoff, where all of the prize winnings go to charity, so it makes beneficial sense to up the ante there.

As far as daily syndicated episodes go, however, expect more of the same Jeopardy! we've come to know and love. Which just so happens to be the way Ken Jennings wants it as well. In his words:

Now, would I stop watching the show altogether if Jennings suddenly did have a new catchphrase that he shoe-horned into every episode? Of course not. In fact, I've come to consider "What appeals?" to be as close to a catchphrase as we'll get, and I find myself repeating it every so often.

Jennings also talked in the interview about being more comfortable now than ever in the driver's seat, especially after the guest-host brouhaha that followed Trebek's death. But hopefully we won't have to worry about anything vaguely close to that happening again. Or if it does happen, just make it a tournament.

Spoiler alert! This story reveals the winner of Celebrity Jeopardy! Season 3, which aired April 23. Episodes are available to stream with a Hulu subscription if you haven’t watched.

Another season of Celebrity Jeopardy! has wrapped on the 2025 TV schedule, and there were definitely some fun times to be had watching (mostly) familiar faces answer decidedly less-difficult trivia questions. While fans of one of the greatest game shows ever can probably agree that the $1 million donation to the winner’s charity makes this spinoff a worthy endeavor, they’ve also got some ideas on how to improve it, and I agree with a lot of what they have to say.

Comedian W. Kamau Bell took top honors on Celebrity Jeopardy! Season 3, beating comedian Robin Thede and All-In podcast co-host Dave Friedberg in the finals to secure the seven-figure check for Donors Choose, which helps educators raise funds for their classrooms. The question was posed on Reddit, “How would you improve Celebrity Jeopardy!?” citing lower ratings, and many said their biggest issue was being unfamiliar with the contestants. Responses included:

• The #1 thing IMO is that it's gotta be celebrities who are household names. Without that, it's just Jeopardy! but less good. – Smoerhul
• Invite more well-known celebrities and/or hold the tournament less often. – scarbnianlgc
• Have some actual celebrities . I haven’t heard of almost all of them – Plastic-Ad7692
• 100% agree. Invite celebs that most people know. – BusinessWarthog6

I can see where these fans are coming from — I certainly wasn’t familiar with every contestant this season. However, I also think this is a fun way to discover new actors, comedians or podcasters that I might not have come across otherwise.

I think I agree more with the viewers who say don’t worry about how famous the celebs are but how interested they are in trivia and playing Jeopardy!. Comments to that effect included:

• Worry less about how well-known they are and more about whether they know anything. – BassPlayingSugarplum
• I don’t really care about the fame level of celebrities on these kinds of show but I think they should prioritize “nerdy” celebs. It’s SO MUCH FUN seeing people like Mina, David, and of course Ike take it seriously, try their best, do their research, etc. – awalawol
• Stop taking pitches from agents. … If we got more celebrities who actually wanted to play the game, we'd get better contestants, more natural back-and-forth, and quite possibly clues raised back to Teen Tournament or College Championship levels. – WeAllHaveReasons

Respect for the game is a huge concern for the Jeopardy! loyal — remember the harsh words fans had for Hasan Minhaj in the first season? — and many didn’t like how much banter there was amongst the Celebrity Jeopardy! contestants in addition to Ken Jennings’ multiple interviews with them:

• Cut the chit chat. Please. For the love of the game!!! I find myself literally doing wrap it up gestures to the tv lol. – Sufficient_Egg8037
• Rein in the total idiocy. Just so we’re clear, I don’t mind people joking for a minute, but if they’re spending half the show acting like clowns and not playing the game, that’s a problem. – EvilChocolateCookie
• Cut back on the banter for sure. We don’t need a brand new interview after every commercial break. – NoneOfThisMatters_XO
• So many of the celebrities don't take it seriously! I had to turn an episode off once during this tournament because they were joking and taking away from the game too much. To me it almost shows a lack of respect for the game, and that's what turns me away from it. – Parzival1337

I admit I start to get frustrated when it seems like the celebrities don’t appear to be putting much effort into it — and if I’m being way too honest, I fast-forward most of the interview stuff — but without all of that “filler,” how is Celebrity Jeopardy! supposed to fill an hour timeslot?

I agree with Redditor jordha, who suggests getting rid of Triple Jeopardy! and doing two games per episode, non-tournament style:

If Jeopardy! went back to not doing a tournament, they theoretically could attract bigger names because those celebrities would only have to commit to one tape day.

A couple of fans were really thinking outside of the box with their Celebrity Jeopardy! suggestions. and I have to give credit to drugsondrugs for saying that instead of Triple Jeopardy!, each game should start with Ken Jennings and Pop Culture Jeopardy! host Colin Jost competing for the chance to host the rest of the episode. I mean, I’d watch that.

Jeopardy! has been around for decades, and it is one of the best game shows ever, even when its clues stump everyone on the stage. And while its biggest winners of all time seemingly know every bit of trivia possible, they probably couldn't answer one of the most-asked questions that current host Ken Jennings has heard. Because it has nothing to do with any facts or trivia one might learn in school.

While one would think that Jeopardy! fans would most often have questions about how the clues and categories are conceived, how contestants are chosen, or how Ken has used his massive winnings, that’s apparently not the case. Jennings took to Instagram to reveal the question he gets asked most often by the studio audience, and it involves his seemingly endless line of ties. Here's was his roundabout way of answering:

This still doesn't address just how many suits he is applying those ties for, but at least we have more insight into one part of that equation.

I just love how Jennings has gotten more questions about his tie than anything. Considering how long Jeopardy! has been airing, you’d think people would have more questions about the way the game is played or about the history of the show, but I suppose a lot of those details have been addresed already in one way or another.

Which really just makes the tie question a whole lot better. Seeing the picture of all of Jennings’ ties (assuming there aren't others rolled up or being ironed elsewhere) really puts into perspective just how many he has, but it’s hard to count them all since some of them really blend in, which really “ties” it all together.

Despite Jennings getting questions about his ties, not everyone wants to know more about him. He’s been hosting Jeopardy! for a few seasons now after the death of host Alex Trebek. Fans weighed in on the Jennings era and some people weren’t on the same page, pointing out that the post-Trebek era has felt a little weird. But it seems like that isn’t stopping people from still wanting to know about Jennings’ ties.

Meanwhile, Jennings’ ties are not the only questions that fans have posed in recent months. Many have wondered what Jeopardy! contestants do during commercial breaks, and fan-favorite champ Drew Groins previously revealed that in those five minutes, Jennings takes questions from the audience, which is probably where the tie questions come in. Of course, those probably aren’t the only questions that fans have, and I’m dying to know what else Jennings gets asked from the studio audience.

There is no end in sight for Jeopardy!, which means that Ken Jennings will have to wear many more ties and endure some trolling. Perhaps fans can start to make this a game and see how many different ties they can spot him wearing each week. While people may be watching the game show to see the contestants and clues and see for themselves if they can answer everything, it is interesting to see just what else people can notice that doesn’t have anything to do with Jeopardy!

When it comes to Jeopardy!’s biggest winners, Ken Jennings doesn’t hold the top spot in terms of money won (although hosting is probably more profitable anyway). Jennings’ claim to fame on one of the best game shows of all time is his 74-game winning streak. No other contestant has come close to catching him either, yet he still thinks he will one day be surpassed. One factor is key, he says, and recent trends seem to support his argument.

Jeopardy! has reached the tournament portion of the 2025 TV schedule, which means Ken Jennings’ record is safe for now. It was back in 2004 that the GOAT spent a solid six months taking down each pair of trivia experts who were placed next to him, and when asked by an audience member recently if he thinks anyone will ever get to 75 or beyond, he had a common-sense reason for believing so. Jennings said in a clip aired on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast:

It’s hard to argue with that logic, though the game has changed in the past 20 years, and contestants in this era play a riskier game with high Daily Double wagers that seemingly make it harder to string wins together. As the host pointed out, Amy Schneider came closer than anyone in 2021-22, winning an impressive 40 games just weeks after Matt Amodio got to 38.

Ken Jennings’ belief that the David to his Goliath will come along one day isn’t just humility. He explained why he thinks long-standing champions have a bit of an advantage, continuing:

It really does come down to buzzer speed, right? Between that and overcoming the initial shock of being on the Alex Trebek Stage fielding clues from Ken Jennings, it seems like — in theory at least — the longer you’re on the show, the stronger a player you become.

Recent tournament play actually supports this theory. After winning the Second Chance Tournament, both Drew Goins and Will Yancey advanced all the way to the finals of the Champions Wildcard, and Goins even earned a spot in the Tournament of Champions. Is it possible that their first tournament served as a warm-up of sorts, giving them an advantage the other CWC players didn’t have?

We’ll just have to keep watching to see if anyone is ever able to break the GOAT’s 74-game record, but in the meantime, check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! airs in your area, and catch Celebrity Jeopardy! at 9 p.m. ET Wednesdays on ABC and streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.

It’s a fun time to be a sports fan, with just two NFL games remaining on the 2025 TV schedule before the Super Bowl and the NBA and NHL in the back halves of their seasons. For those of you who consider Jeopardy! not just one of the best game shows but the best sport out there, you also have to love what’s been going down on tournament season. My excitement as a daily viewer hit a fever pitch with the January 22 Champions Wildcard match, which saw an absolute shootout between two standout players in the current era of Jeopardy!. Don’t believe me? See what other champs had to say.

In Tuesday’s game, Second Chance Tournament winner Will Yancey took on former champs Jay Fisher and Evan Dorey with a spot in Thursday and Friday’s Champions Wildcard finals on the line. Unfortunately Fisher never got going, but he shouted out his competitors on Reddit, confirming how much fun it was watch the tennis match happening on either side of him:

Evan Dorey and Will Yancey had equally complimentary things to say about each other and their experience, as they commented:

• Evan: What a fun game - have been excited for people to see it since the moment we finished filming; it will be a blast. Jay & Will were a pleasure to share the stage with. Hope everyone enjoys!
• Will: Likewise brother. I’m thankful to share a stage with you and Jay and even more thankful to be your friend.

The competition between the data analytics director and the history lecturer ramped up in Double Jeopardy!, when Will Yancey hit a Daily Double in a strong category for him — The Bible. Just $1,000 off of Evan Dorey’s lead, Yancey bet it all, doubling his money to $21,600 while Dorey stood at $11,800. Just four clues later with Dorey in control, the second Daily Double was chosen and Dorey also went for the True Daily Double. He got it correct for a total of $26,800.

The energy was palpable — even watching from home — as Evan Dorey’s confidence was high, and the audience whooped in celebration. One of those audience members was Joey DeSena, who had competed on Monday’s episode and wrote:

By the time we got to Final Jeopardy!, I know I wasn’t the only one wishing both competitors could move on to the next round, but alas, every sport has a winner and a loser (don’t come at me about ties). Evan Dorey was stumped by the final clue, but Will Yancey got it right, doubling his money yet again to finish with an impressive $52,000. Let’s just say he’s gotten people’s attention, as other former Jeopardy! champions chimed in:

• Holy cow! What a great game! You were amazing out there, Evan! I’m glad I didn’t make any popcorn because I’m pretty sure I would have choked on a kernel or two with those true DDs. – Alicia Buffa
• I love love love when I watch a game of Jeopardy and I’m so in it I forget I’ve ever played it and I revert to just totally being a fan. All three players were just 🔥 … This game was every single thing that’s right about Jeopardy. – Alison Betts
• [Avengers voice] Well that just happened. – Marko Saric
• This game is Shakespeare in the original Klingon – Mehal Shah

It will be a pleasure to see Will Yancey again in the two-day Championship Wildcard final, which airs January 23-24 (check local listings for time and channel). I’m excited to see how he would match up against Jeopardy!’s biggest winners from this season on the Tournament of Champions, but it’ll be quite the feat for another game this season to match what we just witnessed.

Ken Jennings is a busy man these days, pulling double duty on syndicated Jeopardy! as well as hosting Celebrity Jeopardy!, which airs Wednesdays on the 2025 TV schedule. When it was announced in late 2023 that Mayim Bialik would not return as co-host, many wondered why it had taken so long to settle on what seemed like the obvious choice to succeed Alex Trebek. The hosting carousel that followed Trebek’s 2020 death felt like a circus at times for viewers — and certainly for contestants — and even Jennings admits that his predecessor would have looked down his famous mustache at the brouhaha.

While Ken Jennings took the reins immediately following the passing of one of the best game show hosts of all time, then-executive producer Mike Richards invited several celebrities to guest host but ultimately named himself Alex Trebek’s permanent replacement. That, however, lasted only a day when former podcast comments led Sony to part ways with the EP, and Jennings and Mayim Bialik were named co-hosts. In a game where Trebek had insisted the contestants were more important than the host, Jennings told Rolling Stone he doesn’t think Trebek would be too happy about how things played out, saying:

There were definitely things that were enlightening about the rotation of guest hosts. Celebrities, contestants and fans all had a bigger appreciation for how easy Alex Trebek made that job look, and — as Ken Jennings pointed out — we got to see hosts deliver clues with different cadences, rhythms and tones.

It also proved that Alex Trebek was right — the game would survive regardless of who was behind the lectern. Despite some benefits to seeing different people in that position, there was an air of instability that rubbed many the wrong way. Amy Schneider, who along with Ken Jennings is one of the biggest winners in Jeopardy! history, didn’t like the tour of guest hosts, saying:

Of all the contestants who competed during that time, Matt Amodio was most affected. During his 38-game win streak and the tournaments that followed, he played under seven different Jeopardy! hosts and has spoken candidly about the “frustrating” thing about Mayim Bialik’s hosting.

Matt Amodio thinks the quiz show landed with the right host, and while opinions will certainly vary about the Ken Jennings era of Jeopardy!, many other fans and former players think so too. Check your local listings to see when the show airs in syndication in your area, or catch Celebrity Jeopardy! at 9 p.m. ET Wednesdays on ABC. You can also fire up your Amazon Prime subscription to see Colin Jost crushing it as the host of Pop Culture Jeopardy!.

Regular Jeopardy! viewers like myself are all too ready to forget the hosting drama that befell the show following the death of one of the best game show hosts ever, Alex Trebek. While things have certainly changed in Ken Jennings’ era of Jeopardy!, the new host has really come into his own, enduring a revolving door of guest hosts and a co-hosting stint with Mayim Bialik before earning the full-time job. Now, as some familiar faces are welcomed back for tournament season on the 2025 TV schedule, one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners admitted one thing he found “a little frustrating” about Bialik during that time.

Matt Amodio holds the distinction of competing under seven different Jeopardy! hosts during his 38-game win streak in 2021, including Mayim Bialik, and he candidly revealed to Rolling Stone one reason he was glad to see Ken Jennings take over hosting duties on a permanent basis. Amodio said of Bialik:

During the time when Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik were co-hosting, Jeopardy! fans were not shy about picking favorites. The debate over who should win the permanent gig continued until the 2023 WGA strike, when Bialik chose to skip the final week of Jeopardy! tapings to stand in solidarity with the writers.

Ken Jennings stepped in for that final week, and by the time new episodes resumed after the strikes, it was announced that Mayim Bialik would not return. Executive producer Michael Davies explained how Ken Jennings ultimately won the job, saying:

It is quite impressive when Ken Jennings throws out little tidbits of extra information, and he even admits to the contestants when he gets stumped by a particular clue. That’s a pretty unique skill that likely no actor or athlete would surpass Jennings in.

Jeopardy! is currently airing its Second Chance Tournament daily in syndication, so check your local listings, and catch Ken Jennings hosting Celebrity Jeopardy! at 9 p.m. Wednesdays on ABC. Fans with an Amazon Prime subscription can also catch Pop Culture Jeopardy!, where host Colin Jost is absolutely crushing it, even if he doesn’t know all the answers.

Soon after the 2024 TV schedule started up, I felt fairly confident that Fox’s Rob Lowe-hosted The Floor would go on to become not just a great new show, but my favorite new game show of the year. That assumption held pretty strong for many months, even topping Patton Oswalt’s brilliant The 1% Club, but fell apart once the Colin Jost-fronted Pop Culture Jeopardy! became available to stream with an Amazon Prime subscription. It’s pretty much game show ecstasy.

But for all that I absolutely adore having all the categories fully fixated on cinema, television, books, music and celebrities, the episodes available so far wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable without Jost’s low-key comedy as the spinoff’s other most distinct difference from the flagship favorite. Sure, three-member teams are also different, but not in a way that truly changes my viewing experience. I definitely think Ken Jennings is in his groove on the main show, and that those replacement rumors are garbage, but am still loving

Each episode I watch makes me wish Jost hosted and starred in tons of other projects, which inevitably sparks the inspiration to sit back and watch “Weekend Update” segments on repeat. Now to expand on what’s so enjoyable…

Colin Jost's Laid-Back Approach Perfectly Complements The Less Intense Format

Alex Trebek earned the love and respect of Jeopardy! fans for being a stoic and hard-to-shake pillar of a game show host, though he was certainly a bit looser in his younger days. In contrast, Ken Jennings is more conversational and quippy with contestants, but with jokes and comments usually still in line with Jeopardy! norms. (Save for rare occasions where he reflects on arguably problematic clues, for instance.)

But Colin Jost is on a different level still, though he obviously veers closer to Jennings than Trebek, in that he doesn't appear to hold back anything by way of remarking on and responding to contestants' correct answers, their wrong answers, or even just his own specific take on the topic at hand. A tiny percentage of it feels semi-forced in the way that scripted hosting can be, but Jost manages to make nearly everything feel spontaneous, even if he maintains his signature laidback vibes throughout.

He Gets To Make Dumb, Weird, And Slightly Risqué Jokes

To be sure, I'd fully enjoy Colin Jost's hosting even if he didn't have any comedic genius within him, but his wry approach and gameness to try out seemingly any kind of joke on Jeopardy! viewers is pure joy to me. To be sure, I can easily see how his random asides and general silliness could rub some viewers the wrong way, especially when it comes to the U.S.' most prestigious quiz game.

But I think Pop Culture Jeopardy! makes it clear it even though the stakes involved are just as high as they are on the mothership show, everyone involved can have a little more fun making it all happen. Part of that is due to a lack of super-strict time restraints that limits the broadcast TV runtimes, which makes it more obvious where editors have clipped moments out. Despite now running ads with most programming, Prime Video doesn't adhere to 30-minute time slots, so Jost is far freer to be as weird and PG-13 as he wants.

Speaking of the humor, another big specific plus of having Colin Jost as the host is that every few episodes, the show's writers manage to work in Scarlett Johannson-related clues that both surprise and amuse him while reading. It goes slightly smoother on the game show than it does when jokes about his superstar wife make their way into his "Weekend Update" reads.

Every Episode Makes Me Want To Rewatch 'Weekend Update' Segments Online

Watching new Pop Culture Jeopardy! episodes when they drop makes me wish that Colin Jost was just available on demand as himself, but since that would be intrusive and more than a little disturbing, there's only one other mainstream option to rely on for a weekly dose of offbeat hilarity. And that's of course Saturday Night Live''s much-beloved "Weekend Update" segments, which he co-anchors with Michael Che, whom Jost credits in a roundabout way with giving him the confidence to host the streaming game show.

So i'll definitely be waiting for the day when Che shows up either on the set or as a guest celeb in video clues, but until then will make do with streaming past "Weekend Update" videos with a Peacock subscription. Though I honestly don't know if any future installments will top this year's pre-Christmas Joke Swap, in which Michael Che set his co-anchor up with some hilariously harsh jokes about ScarJo, while Che himself had to voice some gross comments about Diddy and others.

Given it's a streaming show, there's no telling how well Pop Culture Jeopardy! is doing with audiences, how many people are watching, or what it's chances are of making it to Season 2. But I don't even need to see how the rest of the tournament goes to know I'd welcome Colin Jost back as host every week until they ran out of trivia questions.

Pop Culture Jeopardy! will continue its reign over my attention span during the 2025 premiere schedule, with three new episodes dropping every Wednesday.

There are a lot of similarities to be found between Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!. Both are considered among the best game shows of all time, each has been on the air for more than 40 years (as of the 2024 TV schedule), and both feature relatively new hosts filling the shoes of some true icons. The fact that they’re shot in neighboring studios and share a crew has led to a fun rivalry between the game shows, and that’s something that one recent Jeopardy! contestant apparently learned the hard way. Sam Nguyen opened up about the “grave mistake” he made when auditioning for Wheel of Fortune back in 2018.

Sam Nguyen was a contestant on the December 11 edition of America’s favorite quiz show, and during the interview portion, he revealed this was not his first game show experience. When Ken Jennings inquired about his stint on Wheel of Fortune, the Maryland tax accountant hilariously recalled:

Yikes! Sounds like Sam Nguyen really put his foot in his mouth on that one! Luckily it didn’t end up ruining his chances with the Wheel of Fortune crew, because he did eventually get the callback and appeared on the January 9, 2019, episode. The contestant credits his appearances on both game shows to a little manifestation, saying:

Not only did he get back on track with Wheel of Fortune by speaking as if he were definitely going to be accepted on the show, but he floated the idea that Jeopardy! was next. That’s a pretty strong move.

With Sam Nguyen appearing on Wheel in 2019, he had the pleasure of playing under one of the best game show hosts of all time in Pat Sajak. Ryan Seacrest didn’t take over until its currently airing Season 42. Ken Jennings, meanwhile, has a little more experience with his gig. As one of Jeopardy’s biggest winners and the record-holder for most consecutive games won, Jennings was the first guest host to take over on Jeopardy! after Alex Trebek passed away in November 2020, and he was ultimately named the one true host.

Both Ryan Seacrest and Ken Jennings have been well-received by their passionate fanbases, though social media users have no problem calling each of the hosts out any time they see fit. Some Jeopardy! fans have also admitted that the quiz show just doesn’t feel the same in the Ken Jennings era without Alex Trebek.

It’s certainly understandable to have loyalty for a favorite host or game show, but as Sam Nguyen would tell you, just keep in mind who you’re talking to when you voice that opinion. Check your local listings to see when both syndicated game shows are broadcast in your area.

As the 2024 TV schedule winds down, Jeopardy! remains a beloved staple, as people are still entertained by the clues that cross the board every episode. Those hints can surely vary as well. Whether a clue pokes fun at host Ken Jennings' viral faux pas or winds up being sexist, you never know what may be presented or how the contestants and Jennings himself will react. On that note, a recent Final Jeopardy! clue stumped the contestants as well as Jennings, and I'm stumped as well.

Monday’s episode of the long-running game show saw another intense game between three contestants. By the time the final round came, everyone was pretty much in their own lanes when it came to the money, and the situation became interesting amid Final Jeopardy! When faced with the category “Poetic Characters,” no one provided the answer correct. Contestant Evan Jones later even revealed on a Reddit thread for the show that after the cameras stopped rolling, Jennings admitted that even he thought it was a hard clue.

The clue in question was “In an 1842 poem, it is said of this legendary character that his 'quaint attire' is much admired.” Everyone dropped different answers when it was really, “Who is the Pied Piper?” I was truly stumped on the answer, and the fact that the clever Mr. Jennings was taken aback as well says a lot. It's likely that at least some people at home came up with the correct answer and, if they did, all power to them.

Even as host of Jeopardy!, you can’t know possibly every single answer when you just look at the clue itself. This makes me wonder just how many Final Jeopardy! clues Ken Jennings hasn't known in the past and didn't admit to on air.

If anything, his subsequent admission to the contestants this time around does make him somewhat relatable. He’s been hosting for a while now, though Jennings still flubs a clue or finds one particularly difficult. I mean, no one's perfect, right?

His knowledge of clues aside, the long-running game show's host is apparently quite the personality. He's had more than a few memorable moments on camera. As for BTS tidbits, it was recently claimed that Ken Jennings poked fun at the rivalry between Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. He apparently did so by asking the live audience if they enjoyed their time after a taping and asked them if they wished to see Wheel instead. (Them's fighting words!)

That aside, as long as Jeopardy! lasts, there will surely be clues that stumps contestants and/or Ken Jennings as well as myself. Yet that’s what makes the show fun to play and fun to watch. Check your local listings so that you'll know when you can watch the show for yourself.

Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune are two of the best game shows ever, so it stands to reason that the decades-old series would have a loyal contingent of outspoken fans. Viewers are definitely not shy about speaking out when they think Jeopardy! got a clue wrong or Wheel of Fortune needs a rule change. This week on the 2024 TV schedule has come with new gripes, but strangely enough Ryan Seacrest and Jeopardy’s producers are being called out for occurrences that were the complete opposite of each other.

Ryan Seacrest Called Out For Not Helping Wheel Of Fortune Contestant

On Tuesday, November 26, Wheel of Fortune contestant Oleh Voloshyn solved the Final Spin puzzle on his turn without guessing a letter first, only to ultimately come in second place, missing a trip to the Bonus Round by just $176. He clearly knew the answer, so literally all he had to do was guess one letter to earn an extra $6,000 before he solved the puzzle, and he would have won the game.

Many fans on Reddit thought Ryan Seacrest had a responsibility to remind the contestant of this, as Pat Sajak apparently did many times. Comments included:

• Pat would have reminded him to guess a letter before solving. – andylayindustries
• If I'm Oleh, I'm upset at myself for not realizing the situation... I'm also angry at Ryan for not doing something that Pat always made a point to do in this exact situation. It's not the host's job to point those types of things out but Pat always tried so now we expect it. – JerseyJoeEdits
• People do this all the time, or at least try to. Pat was great at always reminding them to call another letter first though. – ExecutiveTurkey

However, I’m of the opinion that Ryan Seacrest was right to stay quiet, because if he had helped one contestant, it would have been at the detriment of another. A host should move the game along but never influence its outcome, in my opinion, regardless of if Pat Sajak did do that. Either way, I can’t help but be amused that Wheel Watchers are upset about the host not giving enough help to a contestant, when Jeopardy! was having the opposite problem.

Jeopardy! Called Out For Helping Out Its Contestants Too Much

A day before the possible Seacrest snafu, on November 25, Jeopardy! featured a visual clue in the category of “Time For A Cocktail?” A black-and-white photo of Helen Gurley Brown standing in front of several images came on the screen as Ken Jennings read, “Helen Gurley Brown became this publication’s first female editor in the 1960s.” Adam Hersh correctly responded with “What is Cosmopolitan?” but even if he hadn’t known the answer, it was right there for him on the screen.

Just to the right of Helen Gurley Brown’s right arm, above the item she’s holding, you can see “Cosmopolitan” is, in fact, written in white. One Jeopardy! fans was quick to call that out on the episode’s Reddit, writing:

The viewer is definitely not wrong, and I doubt the producers intentionally left that in there under the assumption that the contestants wouldn’t be able to see it. However, I — like several other Redditors — didn’t notice the word when I watched the episode, and even going back to look, I had to zoom in to see it. I don’t think there’s any way the players could have seen it from so far away and within the time limitations they’re under. Still, at least one person noticed it, so who knows?

Whether helping too much or too little, fans have lots of opinions about how Ryan Seacrest and Ken Jennings are filling the large shoes of their predecessors — two of the greatest game show hosts in history, Pat Sajak and Alex Trebek. Tune in to see how you think they’re doing by checking your local listings to see when Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! air in your area.

For most contestants who experience an embarrassing moment on Jeopardy! — whether that’s leaving the “L” off of “Republic” or confusing Michael Caine for Mick Jagger — they really just have to lay low and take the social media jabs for a couple of days until their 15 minutes of shame blows over. Ken Jennings, however, is no ordinary Jeopardy! champion, and he therefore continues to be haunted by one of the show’s funniest faux pas. The writers are ensuring we'll never forget either, as they took an opportunity on the 2024 TV schedule to execute some truly A+ trolling.

What Was Ken Jennings’ Infamous ‘Tool Time’ Gaffe?

To fully appreciate what the quiz show writers have done in the current era of Jeopardy!, we must first travel back to October 2004, which was the back half of Ken Jennings’ record 74-game win stream.

The category: “Tool Time.” The clue, as read by iconic game show host Alex Trebek: “This term for a long-handed gardening tool can also mean an immoral pleasure seeker.” Jennings famously buzzed in with the immediate response:

Alex Trebak stoically rejected the answer as the audience burst into laughter, causing the host to also react with a, “Whoa!” Another contestant then rang in to give the correct answer of “rake.”

It’s a truly hilarious clip that still makes the viral rounds, likely in part because of Ken Jennings’ continued fame on the Jeopardy! stage. It seems if we ever did forget, the clue writers would be right there with a reminder.

Jeopardy! Clue Trolls Ken Jennings With Hilarious Callback

The November 11 episode of one of the best game shows ever featured the category “All A Board,” which apparently provided the perfect opportunity to poke fun at the host’s two-decade-old faux pas. The clue read, “It’s the delicious advertising item in use here,” and y’all, I can’t get over the photo they showed:

As a longtime Jeopardy! fan, I got the reference immediately, and a special shout-out to whoever came up with and then executed the hilariously conspicuous photoshop job that made it look like there was a clue on that sandwich board. That is some truly inspired work, and fans have to appreciate those little easter eggs, right?

After Joey DeSena responded correctly with “What is a sandwich board?,” Ken Jennings acknowledged the joke by saying:

Hats off to the behind-the-scenes crew for that one.

The “What is a hoe?” sandwich board might be the latest example of Ken Jennings being trolled on Jeopardy!, but it’s not the first. A few years ago, when Jennings stepped in as guest host after Alex Trebek passed away, Brian Chang trolled Jennings with his Final Jeopardy! response. Instead of giving the correct answer, Chang wrote, “What is H&R Block?,” which is what Jennings SHOULD have written back on November 30, 2004, when his 74-game streak was broken.

Check your local listings to see when to catch Jeopardy! in your area, because you really never know what hilarity will pop up from the clue writers or the contestants.