Ken Jennings’ 10 Memorable ‘Jeopardy!’ Moments 2023
It’s been quite the year for Ken Jennings, who has now become the undisputed host of Jeopardy! after Mayim Bialik announced her firing on December 15.
With big shoes to fill after the late Alex Trebek, Jennings has grown into the role after officially taking over in July 2022. Viewers have praised the Jeopardy! G.O.A.T. for his ability to relate to the contestants, state questions quickly and clearly, gently poke fun at the players, and deliver quick-witted retorts (even if they sometimes go too far).
Here at TV Insider, we’ve gathered ten of Jennings’ most memorable moments from 2023, and you can let us know your favorites in the comments below.
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Tongue Twisting Trick
In a July episode, Jennings joined contestant Andrew Knowles in showing off their impressive tongue tricks. The episode saw Knowles showing he could reach his elbow with his tongue, and later, Jennings and Knowles posed with their tongues touching their noses.
Garth Brooks Blunder
Jennings was visibly shocked in November on an episode of Champions Wildcard when the three contestants failed to recognize country music icon, Garth Brooks.
“Whoa!” Jennings said, surprised by the triple stumper. “How soon we forget. That’s Chris Gaines’ alter ego, Garth Brooks.”
Ken 'Goes Either Way'
Jennings caused quite the stir on Celebrity Jeopardy! back in October when he made a quip about his sexuality. The moment happened under the category “‘I’ Can Go Either Way,” to which Jennings said, “Fun fact about me,” before reading out the category. “A lot of people don’t know that,” he added.
The Mispronunciation Controversy
One moment where Jennings came under scrutiny this year was in a November episode where he allowed Nick Cascone’s mispronunciation of the Belgian city Ypres.
“The ‘S’ is silent, and the ‘R’ is kind of silent,” Jennings explained before delivering the controversial verdict. “You got there eventually. We will give you credit for ‘Ypres.’”
‘Ageist’ Quip Causes Drama
Another moment that caused a bit of backlash was when Jennings made a quip that some viewers found to be “ageist.” It came in a November episode when returning champ Jen Jazwinski spoke about how her grandmother and her entire nursing home gave her a standing ovation after her first victory.
“That’s great. And that means a lot in assisted living. Standing up: not easy… for all those people, I would assume,” Jennings joked.
The Heath Ledger Mix-Up
Jennings poked fun at contestant T.J. Tallie on an October episode after the returning champ kept incorrectly guessing “Heath Ledger” under a Batman category.
A photo of Ledger eventually came up, but Jennings couldn’t resist teasing Tallie after he gave his answer.
“No, I’m sorry. That’s not correct,” the host said. “Yes, it’s Heath Ledger. One out of three ain’t bad.”
The Cue Card Reveal
Fans got a surprise back in April when Jennings held up his hands and accidentally revealed the Final Jeopardy! card in front of the cameras.
Eagle-eyed viewers picked up on the card, which included contestant wagers and possible outcomes along with the Final Jeopardy! clue and correct answe
James Holzhauer Lays Down a Challenge
Jeopardy! Masters was one of the highlights of year, especially for the banter between former rivals Jennings and James Holzhauer.
During the competition, Holzhauer used his Final Jeopardy response to call out the G.O.A.T. for a rematch.
“Stop ducking a rematch, Ken,” Holzauer wrote, which caused huge laughter from Jennings and the studio audience.
The Nausea Quip
During an October episode of Champions Wildcard, returning two-day champ Steve Clarke lost it all after he failed to answer the Final Jeopardy clue: “Though it meant ‘seasickness’ in Latin, this 6-letter word now refers to a more general feeling of sickness.”
Clarke wrote “Malaise,” and Jennings couldn’t help but get in a little dig, saying, “He might be coming up with nausea right now.”
Hottest Contestant Ever
Season 39 contestant Anji Nyquist was deemed by some viewers as “the hottest Jeopardy! contestant ever” back in July, with some even encouraging her to start an OnlyFans.
After seeing the headline “Hottest Contestant Ever Discusses Possibility of Joining OnlyFans,” Jennings took to X (formerly Twitter) and quipped, “Let me stress that I haven’t made my decision yet.”
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Thanks for this recap, I remembered almost all of them once reminded. The quick witted humor Ken displays in every episode is one reason I really enjoy him as host. I feel like it’s a thing he does that sets him apart from Alex (and ‘formerly Mayim’ lol) and it’s nice that he’s finding his style.
Anyone who’s read his X/twitter account over the years knows Ken isn’t afraid of an edgy-yet-funny comment. I always felt a reason Jeopardy went with the Mayim-Ken co-hosting thing was so Mayim would be there in case Ken made a controversial comment on the show or on social media and got cancelled.
After 2 years, the verdict seems in: Ken will say what he will say and the Jeopardy audience is happy roll with him. It’s nearly 2024 after all. He’s a great host and we enjoy him. Congratulations to the Jeopardy producers for finally having the courage to unequivocally back Ken as the only host of daily Jeopardy.
I became a Mayim fan during her time on the show. I like her, just not hosting the daily show. I hope she and the producers can work out something so she can continue doing some of the prime time J-shows.
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