‘Jeopardy!’ host has ’empathy’ for contestants’ struggles on the show

“Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings knows it’s not easy to compete on the show, having once been a contestant himself.

On the opening night red carpet for the TCM Classic Film Festival, Jennings praised his predecessor, the late Alex Trebek, but noted “one difference” they have.

“Alex was a perfect host, but if there’s one difference between us is I remember what it was like to be a contestant. My heart just goes out to these people,” Jennings told Fox News Digital.

The Seattle-born host began his “Jeopardy!” career 20 years ago, winning over $2.5 million over the course of 74 consecutive games.

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“Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings said “my heart goes out” to contestants who might struggle on the show. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for TCM)

He continued, “It’s their first time on TV, and we throw them into this crucible. It’s a high-pressure environment, so I’m always thinking, how can I make these people comfortable? Please, please get this right, somebody.” 

“I’m 100% empathy out there for these three people,” Jennings added.

And contestants have made their share of blunders over the course of the show’s 40-plus year run.

Recently, fans online were baffled that all three contestants failed the “Fictional Characters” final round category, incorrectly answering a “Wizard of Oz” themed prompt.

Fans were surprised when all three contestants got a “Wizard of Oz” prompt wrong in “Final Jeopardy!” (Jeopardy! YouTube)

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“Boq is one of these fictional people, ‘Not as big as the grown folk… but neither were they very small,” the clue read. All three guessed other fictional little people, but the correct response was “What is a Munchkin?”

“In the 1939 movie of ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ the Munchkins are very small, but in the book, the Munchkins are said to be about Dorothy’s height,” Jennings told them.

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Jennings took over hosting duties in 2020 after the death of Trebek from pancreatic cancer. 

In a Rolling Stone interview in January, the 50-year-old admitted he was less worried about hosting, but more concerned about the grief and mourning the show’s staff was experiencing after the loss of Trebek.

Jennings said his experience as a contestant was a key difference for him as a host, compared to Alex Trebek.  (Jeopardy Productions via Getty Images)

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“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,’” Jennings told the outlet.

At the TCM Classic Film Festival, Jennings did some additional hosting duties, introducing two films in their line-up, and found another connection with Trebek.

Jennings said Turner Classic Movies (TCM) was a key part of Trebek’s process at “Jeopardy!” (Kayla Oaddams/Getty Images for TCM)

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“[TCM] is a big part of our process at ‘Jeopardy!’ because Alex always had TCM on backstage, and he was very knowledgeable, he knew his stuff,” Jennings said.