‘Jeopardy!’: When Is Ken Jennings Returning as Host?
Ken Jennings is currently on hiatus from Jeopardy! as Mayim Bialik is back at the helm for the currently airing High School Reunion Tournament, but fans won’t have to wait too long to see the Jeopardy! GOAT again.
On Monday’s (February 20) edition of the Inside Jeopardy! podcast, long-time producer Sarah Foss revealed that reigning champion Stephen Webb “will return along with Ken Jennings on March 10th in syndication,” adding, “We’re looking forward to seeing if Stephen’s streak can continue.”
Foss didn’t reveal how long Jennings will be back for, though some Jeopardy! fans have noted that he is expected to head up the show until at least April 14. It was previously believed Jennings wouldn’t be back hosting until September.
“I thought he’d come back for at least a while after the tourney. Nice to see it confirmed,” tweeted one fan.
“Great news that he’ll be back in March, and go through mid April! I had seen that Mayim was supposed to take over starting in the upcoming tournament, and continuing through the end of the season. I’m glad that’s not the case!” wrote another viewer.
“I want Ken Jennings to stay with daytime Jeopardy pleeeeaaasse. I really like him and watch it everyday,” tweeted one fan.
“I am definitely in Team Ken, but first and foremost, I am a Jeopardy fan. I will watch it whoever the host is,” said another.
The High School Reunion Tournament kicked off Monday night and will run until Thursday, March 9. It features 27 former teen contestants competing in a special 14-day special event, with the overall winner of the competition walking away with a $100,000 grand prize and a spot in the Tournament of Champions.
Jeopardy!, Weeknights, Check your local listings
Conversation32 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Comments are closed on this story.
-
P
I have been a fan of Jeopardy since the early "70's. And I was a fan of Alex Trebek! The combination of his personality and the shows content is what made it an award-winning program.
I understand that the fans of Mayim Bialik want her to be the permanent and full-time host but - while she is very well educated and is really cute in her roles on TV shows, she doesn't have the personality to host this show.
Ken Jennings has not only the personality and knowledge, but he was also very well-liked by Alex and I will always remember one evening when Alex opened the show by saying " . . . welcome to the Ken Jennings show! "
Hopefully over time the producers of Jeopardy will quit playing around and give back the dignity the show deserves.
Patty
31 1
-
C
Exactly!!!
13 1
-
R
I totally agree….oust Mayim and give Ken the full time job….
19 1
-
-
P
When Ken returns, so will I.
25 1
-
B
I agree...no offense but Mayim just does not fit the part like Ken does. And I've been watching since Art Fleming. So when he returns so will I too...
26 1
-
O
So basically you’re only watching it because of Ken Jennings. Fir all these fans,
I Ike you that hate Mayim as host, I kind of wished Sony had cancelled Jeopardy. It’s embarrassing fir fans that whine and cry over who the host is. Appreciate the show no matter who the host is. If your not happy them quit watching altogether.
1 16
-
R
Believe it or not, the fans' opinions do in fact make or break the show, otherwise there would be no advertisers to keep it on air. If the host's presence is a distraction to the proven formula, which many (most?) contend that Mayim's is, then it will result in the kind of backlash that it has.
15 1
-
-
C
Same here!
13 1
-
-
R
I'll wait for Ken, she is too hard to watch.
24 1
-
C
Ken Jennings B A C K. P LE A S E! Don’t need anybody else’esp not spastic Bialik
20 2
-
R
To say that I have a preference for Ken would be an understatement, as I am truly repulsed by Mayim’s onscreen presence when I see her. It has come to the point where if I see her in a commercial or TV show besides Jeopardy, I will change the channel.
18 2
-
C
The fact of the matter is that America is not ready to have a frank discussion about the quality of the hosts because a vocal minority in our society (most likely not even Jeopardy viewers) will be ready to chide any and all criticisms of Mayim Bialik's hosting- however minor they may be- as misogynistic, racist, anti-Semitic, etc. And the show will suffer because of it.
Welcome to the Western World of 2022.
17 2
-
P
I’ve watched Jeopardy since Art Fleming hosted it. Continued watching for generations through the Trebek years and stayed along for the ride during the guest host carousel that followed Alex’s untimely passing. Mayim Bialik is, plain and simple, one of the worst choices to host this show, or frankly any game show. She does not understand any nuance, develop a rhythm, or prepare herself to appear as a knowledgeable presence throughout the game. What they have done to Art and Alex’s legacies by keeping somebody with the talent and poise of Ken Jennings away is an absolute disgrace.
17 3
-
P
WE HAVE STOPPED RECORDING/WATCHING JEOPARDY UNTIL KEN JENNINGS RETURNS!! When will the producers wise-up?!
13 1
-
R
You are incorrect about Mayim being personable…. She is NOT personable at all…And she does NOT keep the show moving along smoothly. Please bring back Ken Jennings…..
12 2
-
O
The bosses at Jeopardy are cowards and should be fired. Just can’t make a tough decision while fans keeps saying over and over we want Ken to permanently host the show. Love Mayim but just not a fit here. No guts jeopardy.
10 1
-
O
Do you not realize Ken IS the host of regular Jeopardy and Mayim is the host of “special” tournaments? I personally love both of them, and there’s room for both on this show.
4
-
-
R
No Israel lobby and we wouldn't have this problem. Why should one of America's most beloved television shows be at the mercy of the demands of the mother of the show's head writer? Aren't we better than that as a society? Apparently not.
8 2
-
C
I'm glad somebody on this website had the courage to speak up about this. The biggest open secret in Hollywood is how this woman continues to find work.
4
-
-
P
I believe the Ms Bialik is more suited to host the celebrity as this is more light hearted and forgiving of errors and cadence
Without a shred of doubt Ken Jennings is the most suitable and effective host
8 2
-
G
Ken was always the better host between the two but Mayim lost me as a supporter last year when she invoked sexism as the root of the viewer criticisms. She could have taken those criticisms to heart and apply them to her craft to become a better host, rather she opted to take the easy route and complain that they have no basis in anything other than misogyny. She's a piece of work who needs to find a hosting job elsewhere.
4
-
C
I want Ken Jennings back! I like Mayin Bialik but I think Ken is better as the host.
-
C
get rid of Mayim, will not record or watch when she hosts the show.
-
G
Good news
-
G
I haven’t watched Jeopardy since about 30 years before Trebek passed. I have no dog in this fight; but, I don’t remember anyone complaining about Trebek’s hosting. Are these two that bad or is the production team at fault?
-
G
It's not that the two are bad; it's that one is vastly inferior to the other, yet the producers are adamant about giving her opportunities despite being reviled and disliked by the majority of the audience.
9
-
-
G
'Conflict of interest' Jennings is obsessed with making sure anyone with talent doesn't make it anywhere close to his record. It's a shame the clever little weasel gets away with constantly giving Hints and suggestions to the challengers while their deciding their daily double decisions, motivating them to bet big to get close to keeping the champ from making it a runaway game. This game has turned into a joke with this guy. Can someone tell 'conflict of interest' Jennings it's not his job to influence player's DD bet while they're deciding how much to bet? Last comment was: 'you can overtake the champ with the right bet'. It's obvious Jennings helps the players he prefers.
1 14
-
P
“You can overtake the champ with the right bet” is a statement of fact, and only one that a non-Jeopardy watcher would take umbrage with because Alex Trebek did that all the time. Put your hatred of Jennings aside before making critical comments.
9
-
C
Why are you liking your own comment, PM? Insecure about receiving some praise for a highly downvoted post?
-
-
G
Long time fan of Jeopardy and they cannot get rid of Jennings fast enough. I absolutely do not like him.
17
-
B
Bialik is just as good as Jennings. You don't have to have Jennings credentials as an all-time great player to read questions clearly, be personable, and keep the night's competition moving along smoothly. It's the game that keeps us watching anyway, not the host.
2 26
-
R
Bialik's clue-reading cadence is off, she comes across as impersonal and uninterested during the interview portion, and her pauses in confirming responses often keep the game from moving smoothly. So she gets dinged 3 for 3 according to your own criteria. Consistency is better, and therefore Ken should be the sole host.
24 2
-
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services