'Jeopardy!' Host Ken Jennings Shares Advice His Wife Gave Him after Filming First 5 Episodes

Ken Jennings, who is acting as an interim host on "Jeopardy!," shared advice his wife had given him after filming the first 5 episodes of the beloved game show.

Ken Jennings shared in a promo video for "Jeopardy!" the advice his wife had given him after sharing his concerns with her from filming the first 5 episodes of the show.

The "Jeopardy!" Twitter page shared a promo video for the show on January 11. In the video, Jennings shared his feelings about hosting the show, including that the experience had been nerve-wracking.

He opened up and said that he knew that fans do not necessarily want to see him behind the lectern and that he would rather see the late game show host, Alex Trebek, hosting than himself.

However, he said he was just happy to help and fill in so that the show could continue. He went on to say that he could not believe that he was filling in for the show and said:

"It still seems surreal. It goes beyond nerves. It was a very intense and nerve-wracking experience to be behind this lectern."

He went on to say that the experience has been eye-opening as he gained a new perspective on how good Trebek was at hosting the beloved game show.

He admitted to having studied the late game show host and thought he understood what a remarkable job he had done as the host. He shared that he realized that Trebek did "10 things" behind the scenes after hosting himself, which he did not even know about.

Jennings is the most successful contestant from the show.

After filming the first 5 episodes of the show, Jennings spoke to his wife about the experience, and she gave him some insightful advice on his hosting experience.

She had asked him how he thought the filming had gone, and he said that he was not Trebek and so she responded and said,

"Well, of course not. But do you think you might stand up to what he did on his first day?"

The insight had helped him realize that maybe he had done a good job for someone who did not have 36 years of practice hosting the game and its different segments.

Jennings played interim host for "Jeopardy!" as the late host passed away in November 2020. Trebek signed off in his last episode, which aired on January 8.

Jennings is the most successful contestant from the show. He won over $2.5 million in the span of his 74 winning streak on the game show. He had remained friendly with Trebek over the years.

The first episode which featured Jennings as interim host aired on January 11. After his stint on the show, a new guest host will take over. There has not been an announcement of a permanent host.