Ken Jennings is one of Jeopardy’s biggest winners of all time, with a bottomless chasm of knowledge that ultimately saw him succeed Alex Trebek as host. He’s known first and foremost for his smarts, and second for trying to insert the word “hoe” where it doesn’t belong, but comedy? I think that’s better left to the famous faces who take the stage during Celebrity Jeopardy! However, I forgot that Jennings is actually really funny, and he reminded me of that when he roasted an audience member who asked about his 74-game win streak.
Jamie Ding injected a lot of enthusiasm into one of the best game shows ever over the past couple of months. I was gutted when Ding’s ascent up the Jeopardy! ranks came to an end, because I actually believed he might challenge that seemingly unreachable 74-game win streak set by Ken Jennings back in 2004. I don’t think I’m alone, either, because this Instagram Reel shows what happened when one person asked him:
Ken Jennings regularly takes audience questions during show tapings, and one person asked what he would do if Jamie Ding did surpass 74 wins. The host said he’d be “very excited” to see someone replicate his success, then pointed out how funny it would be if he started actively rooting against Ding:
Are you imagining me just getting more and more pissed with every game? ‘If he wins, I’ll eat my hat!’
The audience member expanded the question, asking if he was worried Jamie Ding would then take his job. Ken Jennings hilariously replied:
Yes, that’s what happens. If you hit game No. 75, a trap door opens beneath me and I disappear.
I mean, that sounds kind of cool, actually. Ken Jennings falls through the floor of the Alex Trebek Stage, and Jamie Ding changes into (naturally) an orange suit and tie to take his place behind the lectern. That would certainly be easier, and arguably less dramatic, than the process of replacing Alex Trebek, am I right?
Either way, Ken Jennings’ record — and job, apparently — are safe for now, as Jamie Ding did not get to his 75th win. He did, however, earn $882,605 in 31 games, in dominant fashion, I may add, with 23 of those victories coming in runaway fashion.
The host actually injects quite a bit of humor into the quiz show. For one thing, he’s always game to laugh at references to the aforementioned “What is a hoe?” incident or getting trolled by fans over not knowing H&R Block on the question that ended his run.
In fact, that signature humor came out again recently when asked if he’d purposely thrown that final game. His retort:
Have you ever willingly quit a job where you were making $70,000 an hour?
Well played, sir. Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! airs in your area, or watch recent episodes with either a Hulu subscription or Peacock subscription to hear what laughs Ken Jennings will provide us with next.
