Back in 2004, Ken Jennings became Jeopardy!’s first celebrity contestant, when he won over $2.5 million in 75 games. Add on his winnings from ensuing tournaments, and he’s accumulated over $4 million, and that’s one of the reasons that when iconic game show host Alex Trebek succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2020, it seemed fitting for Jennings to be one of the hosts to fill his shoes. Jennings recently thought about his experiences on both sides of the lectern, and while his player earnings are nothing to sneeze at, he actually made a solid point about why he’s probably better off as a host.
Jeopardy! kicked off its 40th season this week with Ken Jennings leading the way. Co-host Mayim Bialik walked off the set prior to the end of Season 39 in solidarity with the show’s striking WGA writers, and Jennings maintains the hosting gig, despite some calling him out for not following her lead. In celebration of the premiere, the Inside Jeopardy! podcast shared some of the hosts’ responses from the Q&As they do with the audience, and it included one inquiry that the Jeopardy! GOAT apparently gets quite often: Does he prefer hosting or playing more? Jennings replied:
Well here’s the thing: Being host, you have the responses in front of you. You have a lot more job security. As [the contestants] well know, two-thirds of all Jeopardy! contestants are gone after half an hour. It’s the worst job security in the business.
This actually makes a lot of sense, when you consider just how many Jeopardy! contestants simply fade from our collective memories following one short episode. Also, Ken Jennings may stand as one of Jeopardy!’s biggest winners with his $4,370,700, but it took him nearly two decades to earn that much, most recently adding $1 million from the GOAT Tournament in 2020 — 16 years after his initial showing. Should he maintain his position as Jeopardy!’s host, I think it’s pretty likely that he could earn another $4 million in less time than that from his salary.
However, while hosting might be the better gig in terms of job security and even money, Ken Jennings said it’s not as stress-free as some may think. No, he may not be battling other contestants on the buzzer to flaunt his inexhaustible knowledge on all things trivia, but hosting is still pretty challenging. He explained:
The host is actually doing a lot more things. I’m playing the game along with the contestants at the same speed, but I’m also trying to frame the game for the home audience. I’m having to make some judgment calls along the way. So you know, Alex just made it look easy for so many years, so it seems like the host has the easy gig, just reading stuff, but I find that it’s pretty difficult.
It seems there is no “easy” way to becoming a Jeopardy! multi-millionaire, either as a player or a host, but it’s interesting to hear that perspective from one of the few people who have played both roles.
You may not be able to see Ken Jennings compete anymore, but you can catch him leading all of the action in syndication. The decision to kick off the season with the Second Chance Tournament was one of many big changes made to Season 40 amid the writers’ and actors’ strikes, so check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! plays in your area.