Ken Jennings to Serve as ‘Jeopardy!’s Guest Host

Meaghan Darwish November 23, 2020, 5:45 pm

Ken Jennings Alex Trebek — ABC/Eric McCandless

Jeopardy! is preparing to begin production for the first time since host Alex Trebek‘s death, and a familiar face is joining the game.

Ken Jennings has been tapped to serve as interim guest host of the beloved game show as filming kicks off on November 30. A long-term host has yet to be named, but Jennings, who stepped in as a goodwill ambassador and consultant earlier this year, will helm the first episodes airing in 2021.

Ken Jennings on His New 'Jeopardy!' Role & What It's Really Like Working With Alex Trebek

As a way of celebrating Trebek, the show will air 10 of the host’s best episodes the weeks of December 21 and December 28. Due to preemptions surrounding Christmas and New Year’s, Trebek’s final episodes of Jeopardy! will now air the week of January 4, 2021. Jennings’ episodes will pick up after that, kicking off on the week of January 11, 2021.

“Alex believed in the importance of Jeopardy! and always said that he wanted the show to go on after him,” said Jeopardy! Executive Producer Mike Richards. “We will honor Alex’s legacy by continuing to produce the game he loved with smart contestants and challenging clues. By bringing in familiar guest hosts for the foreseeable future, our goal is to create a sense of community and continuity for our viewers.”

(Credit: Sony Pictures Television / Courtesy: Everett Collection)

Jennings is one of Jeopardy!‘s best-known contestants and kicked 2020 off by being crowned the show’s “Greatest of All Time” champion after a special primetime tournament featuring fellow champs Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer.

When we caught up with Jennings before Trebek’s death and asked about his possible future with the show, he said, “It’s really hard for me to answer that question because it requires envisioning a version of Jeopardy! without Alex Trebek. As great as that job would be, I am not emotionally prepared to do that right now. I have one host of Jeopardy! in my heart.”

Jeopardy!, Weeknights, Check your local listings