Ken Jennings reveals how he felt during his first show as 'Jeopardy' host: 'I don't want to be here'

Ken Jennings has been the host of “Jeopardy!” since 2021, and he took up the role after being a star player, making him the ideal choice to take over after Alex Trebek. But when he made his debut, Jennings was initially scared of stepping into Trebek's shoes, according to a New York Post report. Fans of the show remembered Jennings as one of the greatest contestants to have ever played the game and loved him quite a bit. But being on stage after Trebek's tragic death in 2020, following a legendary run, was too much for the new host.

When Jennings made his debut, he felt like everyone on the show and even the fans were still recovering from that loss. He himself was experiencing grief over Trebek’s passing at the time and did not feel like he would be welcome to take his place as the new face of “Jeopardy!” In an interview with Rolling Stone, he laid bare what the experience was like on that first day.

“Everybody there was very emotional, and I had to be the one talking through it, even though I probably knew him least of all 100 people on set, crew, and the staff. It was very scary. You’re aware that the audience does not want you there. They’re like me, they want the other guy, and I was missing him, too. I’m like, ‘I don’t want to be here. I would give anything to not be here right now,” he said.

He and popular actor Mayim Bialik were chosen to be hosts of the show in 2021, and the latter was relieved of her duties in 2023. Jennings, however, has remained the host and has quickly become a fan favorite. As per showrunner Michael Davies, the original plan was to rotate hosts after Trebek’s passing, but the winner of 74 straight games had something special about him. “I saw the look that the contestants would have when he’d walk out on the stage. Or his facility with the material,” Davies said. “I remember at one point, somebody buzzed in and gave the wrong response, and they said, ‘Who is Gainsborough?’ And he said, ‘Oh, no, I’m sorry, it’s Gainsborough’s great rival,’ and named some other obscure artist. It was just a moment, [but] who on earth other than Ken Jennings could have that moment?”

There’s no doubt that the showrunners could not be more proud of Ken Jennings for the work he has done over these few years as the host of “Jeopardy!” The feeling is mutual as the host, too, is proud of how the show has been received by people across the country. The host believes that the show has successfully united people across all ages and political lines.

“‘Jeopardy!’ is a weirdly unifying thing,” he explained, before adding, “Young people, old people, red states, blue states – it’s an institution that has this universal acceptance. Whatever the forces of anti-science and fake news and whatever are, they seem to have some carve-out for ‘Jeopardy!’ Maybe because it’s a game?”