By Gavin Boyle
Ken Jennings, who took over as the host of JEOPARDY! after Alex Trebek’s death, explained how he honors the late host by continuing his tradition to play Turner Classic Movies (TCM) in his dressing room.
“It’s part of our JEOPARDY! tradition because Alex always had TCM on in the dressing room, and that’s something I’m gladly keeping going,” Jennings told PEOPLE.
While speaking with PEOPLE, Jennings also shared the challenges he faced while taking over the show. It was difficult for him, not only to step into a job he had no experience with, but also to take over as the face of a show which had not changed in nearly 40 years.
“It was very tricky after Alex passed because, of course, we all missed him,” Jennings said. “No one had seen anybody else host Jeopardy for nearly 40 years. It was a tricky adjustment, and I didn’t want to be there.”
“I wanted Alex — like, he was my guy, but luckily I had seen him host enough that I kind of had this internal sense of what would he do here, and that’s really the only thing that got me through. And a few years on, I’ve gotten enough reps that I feel a little more comfortable out there,” he added.
Though Jennings felt the weight of taking over from Trebek, the showrunners believed in him through his rocky start, as they understand how valuable it would be to have a host with his trivia knowledge.
Related: Why JEOPARDY! Host Ken Jennings Didn’t Want to Be on Show
“I saw the look that the contestants would have when he’d walk out on the stage. Or his facility with the material. 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,’” showrunner Michael Davies told Fox News this January. “It was just a moment, [but] who on earth other than Ken Jennings could have that moment?”
As he continues to refine his craft, Jennings has been given more opportunities to host, expanding beyond his normal show onto CELEBRITY JEOPARDY! He particularly enjoys hosting this format as it is fun to work with people used to being on camera.
“It’s really what I love about CELEBRITY JEOPARDY!, which is that even if people love regular JEOPARDY! for its reliability and its stability, this is a version of JEOPARDY! where anything can happen, and that’s kind of fun to take this format that you’ve seen every night for 40 years and kind of tweak it, and the contestants are looser, they’re having a little more fun,” he shared.
“That’s a big part of JEOPARDY! as you’re watching. You’re watching three laypeople, three non-performers perform,” Jennings continued. “And with celebrity you really do kind of have the joy of, what if somebody can play the game and tell jokes or have fun at the same time.”
As he continues to cement himself as the future of JEOPARDY!, it is amazing to see just how much respect Jennings has for the former host and how much he still aspires to be just like him.
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