'Jeopardy’ host Ken Jennings takes a subtle dig at 'Wheel of Fortune' off camera: "They'd gone..."
"Jeopardy!" and "The Wheel Of Fortune" are two of the most popular game shows on American television and compete to get the attention of the same kind of audience with similar puzzles. Both hosts now have relatively new hosts, since Ken Jennings took the reins of "Jeopardy!" after Alex Trebek's death in 2020, while Ryan Seacrest became "Wheel of Fortune" host in 2024. Although the two could be considered rivals, a report from The U.S. Sun suggests that there's no bad blood between them. In fact Jennings even laughs about the competition between the shows.
The report mentioned how the two shows are neck and neck in the fight for viewership with "Wheel of Fortune" in the lead. One of the reasons for its popularity is its young host, Seacrest, who took over after Sajak's retirement in 2024.
The Sun reported that the show surged past "Jeopardy!" by over 1 million when Seacrest took over, while Jennings is said to be struggling to keep up after taking over as the sole host of "Jeopardy!" However, an insider told The U.S. Sun that Jennings isn't afraid of joking about it. "After a recent taping, Ken asked the live audience if they enjoyed their time at the show, before asking if any of them wished they'd gone to see "Wheel of Fortune" instead. The crowd erupted in laughter and seemed to appreciate him making fun of the rivalry and not taking it so seriously," the source shared with the publication.
The insider further added that Jennings is "very humble", and really kind to everyone on set. "It seems the role hasn't gone to his head. There's no ego about him at all," the source said adding that Jennings seems to be settling well on the Alex Trebek stage. However, he may still be getting heat from bosses after "Wheel of Fortune" took the top spot recently in the ratings chart.
Jennings initially started hosting the show alongside "The Big Bang Theory's" Mayim Bialik. However, she was let go from the show in 2023 as producers allegedly wanted more consistency. Around the same time, Seacrest with more star power than Jennings, replaced Sajak on "Wheel of Fortune." Just weeks after his debut, the game show got 7.99 million total viewers, marking its best premiere month in three years, NBC reported.
"Ryan is bringing a sense of youth and urgency to the job that is a lot harder to pull off than it looks," a TV source previously told The U.S. Sun.
On the other hand, Jennings is under pressure as he still has no long-term contract to host the show, despite proving his commitment. "Jeopardy! is Ken's religion; he lives it, and he breathes it, and despite all the outside pressures, he's not going to mess this up," the insider claimed. The source further added that Jennings was even ready to take a pay cut to stay on the show for the long run.
"He's proud to have worked his way into this position and believes he has what it takes to make it last for decades to come," the insider added.
