KEN Jennings has revealed the Jeopardy! opponent that he ‘wouldn’t want to play against’ as the host has ‘no confidence’ he’d be able to beat the icon, a source told The U.S. Sun.
It’s been over 20 years since Ken cemented his spot as one of the top game show contestants of all time and still holds the record for longest Jeopardy! winning streak after his historic 74-game run.
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Though the former contestant has now transitioned into a beloved host in 2021 after the passing of Alex Trebek, many fans want to see him back on stage competing.
However, there’s one person standing in Ken’s way from making his comeback – Jeopardy! legend James Holzhauer.
According to an insider, Ken feels he’s “still got it” when it comes to his trivia knowledge so he “knows he would still do well.”
“Even though Ken knows he can still hang with the new kids, there are some contestants even he does not want to go head to head with.
“He hasn’t been quiet about this in the past – but he really does not want to go up against Holzhauer again.
“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,” the source added.
While Ken, 50, holds the record for the longest consecutive winning streak, James, 40, is just behind him after a 32-game run in 2019.
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He went on to win the Tournament of Champions that year – earning nearly $2.5m from his time on the show.
James and Ken came to a head when they competed against each other in 2020’s Greatest of All Time Tournament – where he scored $250,000 as runner-up – getting beat out by Ken.
Other than being intimidated by James’s gameplay, Ken recently revealed another reason he will “never” compete on Jeopardy! again in a candid off-camera chat.
A source has alleged to The U.S. Sun that Ken has said that his time as a contestant was done.
“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 claimed.
The former computer programmer went on to call it “bittersweet” as competing on the show was his “first love” – but he’s happy to have since “graduated” into the hosting role.
Currently, employees of Sony Pictures Entertainment – which is home to the show’s production company – as well as its subsidiaries are not eligible to compete on the show.
This would make any Jeopardy! staffers, including Ken, are ineligible to participate as contestants.
Jeopardy! Contestant Rules
Passing Jeopardy!’s online Anytime Test is hard enough, but there are also many rules players must follow once they make it to the stage:
- The returning champion is always at the leftmost podium and keeps playing until they lose.
- Contestants don’t have to say “who is” or “what is” in the first round but must do so in Double Jeopardy! and Final Jeopardy.
- Contestants can change their responses as long as Ken Jennings or the judges haven’t made a ruling.
- The minimum wager for a Daily Double is $5. The minimum wager for Final Jeopardy! is $0.
- Written responses in Final Jeopardy! do not have to be spelled correctly, but they must be phonetically correct (the judges decide this).
- If there’s a tie after Final Jeopardy, the tied players enter a bonus clue shootout, and whoever buzzes in first correctly wins.
- If all three contestants wager everything in Final Jeopardy! and are incorrect, leaving them with $0, there will be no returning champion (it’s happened before—six times).
According to the show’s guidelines, relatives of Sony Pictures employees are also not allowed to compete.
Though fans long to see Ken competing again, they’re still delighted to see him as host as the ex-contestant has earned rave reviews for taking over the role in 2021.
“Despite rumors he might be replaced, Ken is going nowhere fast and is pushing to get a longer contract on the show.
“He’s really started hitting his stride, even though he’s faced a lot of criticism,” a source previously told The U.S. Sun.
It appears the love is mutual, as a source claimed that Ken has made it known to higher-ups that he’s in it for the long haul – even if that means taking a pay cut.
“Jeopardy! is Ken’s religion; he lives it, and he breathes it, and despite all the outside pressures, he’s not going to mess this up.
“He’s proud to have worked his way into this position and believes he has what it takes to make it last for decades to come.”
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