ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

'Jeopardy' legend Ken Jennings has one opponent he never wants to face: 'He doesn't have..."

He has transitioned from contestant to host quite smoothly, but fans still want him to play the game.
PUBLISHED APR 17, 2025
Screenshot showing Ken Jennings on "Jeopardy!" (Cover image source: YouTube | Jeopardy!)
Screenshot showing Ken Jennings on "Jeopardy!" (Cover image source: YouTube | Jeopardy!)

Ken Jennings is considered a legend not only on "Jeopardy!" but in the entire TV game show universe, because of his 74-game winning streak during his time as a contestant on the show. Although some have won more prize money than him and others have had winning streaks on the show but no one has come close to breaking Jennings's record. But even the former iconic player and present host doesn't want to step into the arena as a player because he doesn't want to face one player, according to The US Sun.

The report claims that an insider of the show said that Jennings is not too keen on going up against James Holzhauer. The host’s 74-game undefeated streak is followed by Holzhauer who once went 32 games without losing in 2019. That’s not all.



 

That year, he was also on the Tournament of Champions, which saw him earn a whopping $2.5 million in prize money. Holzhauer and Jennings faced off in 2020 in the Greatest of All Time Tournament. That time, the former earned $250,000, but he was the runner-up to the current host of the show. However, the source claims that the 74-game unbeaten streak holder still has his doubts about competing against the 32-game winner.



 

“He hasn’t been quiet about this in the past, but he really does not want to go up against Holzhauer again,” the source said, before adding, “Ken has really doubled down that he doesn’t believe he would be able to beat him. He doesn’t have confidence he can take him down. James is a beast. Ken has the utmost respect for him, which is why he’s happy hosting games where James is competing.”

That’s not the only reason why Jennings doesn’t want to play “Jeopardy!” anytime soon. He has always been a fair contestant and believes that his time as the host of the show has taught him a lot of tips and tricks that other contestants might not be privy to. So if he competes once again, he might have an unfair advantage. That, indeed, would not be right, as the whole point of such a show is that the contestants start off with an even playing field.



 

“He went on to say that it would be completely unfair since he gets all the behind-the-scenes tips and tricks as host. He’s been given an advantage on that side of production that wouldn’t ever be fair to other contestants, so no, he insists that wouldn’t happen,” the insider told The US Sun.

Even if he wanted to, Jennings could not compete in “Jeopardy!” as long as he is under contract at Sony Pictures Entertainment. That’s a part of the broadcaster’s guidelines, and the insider also claimed that the host was on track to sign a new deal with the show as host.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Some restaurants are charging extra fees, and this has sparked a debate over transparency.
35 minutes ago
Residents have been struggling with high prices and this was an opportunity they couldn't miss.
2 hours ago
The proposal comes after the volatile ICE crackdown in the state came to an end.
2 hours ago
In an effort to lessen the bank's impact on the market and cut borrowing costs, Trump has been pushing the Fed to decrease interest rates.
4 hours ago
"President Trump's economic agenda has a proven track record and unleashed historic job wage and economic growth," the White House said.
4 hours ago
94% of the burden of these tariffs fell on Americans between January and August, 92% in September and October, and 86% in November. 
6 hours ago
Fans of the show were not happy and they made their opinions known.
19 hours ago
The report stated that America added 130,000 jobs, much higher than the predicted 70,000.
23 hours ago
The affected products were first recalled in January of this year over fears of plastic contamination.
1 day ago
White House senior trade advisor previously said even a gain of 50,000 jobs would be positive.
1 day ago
The President said that he was influenced to make the decision at the time.
1 day ago
A majority of FOMC members voted to halt additional rate reduction after three were made last fall.
1 day ago
The big win also gave him a chance to compete again at the end of the week.
1 day ago
It turns out that Americans are not willing to pay exorbitant tips in such an economy.
1 day ago
The contestant's mother encouraged her to take the risk and go for the car.
1 day ago
The item was voluntarily recalled and no illness or injury has yet been reported from it.
2 days ago
The company issuing and managing these gift cards recently filed for bankruptcy.
2 days ago
Tech companies are racing to develop AI that exceeds human cognitive abilities.
2 days ago
With an average annual growth rate of 2.8% during the last 50 years, the US economy is expected to expand by 2.4% in 2026.
2 days ago