JEOPARDY! host Ken Jennings has offended some viewers with his recent jab at champion Jay Fisher.
The game show host took a crack at the Illinois native’s brief political career and shocked viewers with his comments.
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During Tuesday’s episode of Jeopardy!, Jay revealed early in the episode that was a senator in his home state for a whopping 22 hours.
“Probably the shortest tenured senator in Illinois history … 22 hours,” he shared.
“In 2018, my senator lost his bed for re-election and decided to step down. The new governor called a lame duck session and I got down there at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, made some votes that afternoon and the next morning and then the new general assembly were sworn in, so my tenure was over.”
He added, “Never figured out where the bathroom was and probably the only Illinois politician to lose money on the deal because I didn’t get the salary or per diem.”
Ken, 50, laughed before hitting back with a joke of his own, which took viewers by surprise.
“You’re an Illinois politician and you’re not in jail, Jay. You did it,” he said.
VIEWERS REACT
Viewers at home were stunned by the crack, with some questioning if Ken has beef with the state of Illinois.
“What did Illinois do to Ken Jennings,” one fan wondered.
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“Wow, cheap shot directed at Illinois,” another posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Ken often has fun with Jeopardy guests, but isn’t often called out for being mean-spirited about it.
PATH TO VICTORY
Jay was crowned the latest Jeopardy! champion, dethroning Isaac Hirsch on Monday.
A bad math mistake ost Issac the game, leaving him shaking his head in disbelief as the credits rolled.
Isaac, who amassed $215,390 as the reigning champ since July 3, was thought to be well on his way to a tenth victory.
Jeopardy! Host Timeline
Jeopardy! has had a tumultuous history regarding hosts after the death of the iconic Alex Trebek in 2020. Here are all of the hosts since the game show’s inception in 1964.
Art Fleming – 1964 to 1975, he was the original host of the daytime version of Jeopardy! on NBC.
Alex Trebek – 1984 to 2020, the late, great Alex hosted Jeopardy!’s modern iteration for 36 years until his death from pancreatic cancer.
Guest hosts – 2020 to 2021, Jeopardy! tested out a series of guest hosts for week or two-week stints, including Anderson Cooper, LaVar Burton, and Aaron Rodgers.
Mike Richards – 2021, he was named host for one week before resigning amid controversy. He was the show’s executive producer at the time.
Mayim Bialik – 2021 to 2023, when Mike was announced as the show’s new host, Mayim was chosen to host tournaments and primetime specials.
Mayim and Ken Jennings – 2022 to 2023, 74-time champion Ken (the longest-winning contestant ever) joined Mayim as a guest host and they split hosting duties.
Ken Jennings – 2023 to present. Last December, Mayim announced on Instagram that she would “no longer” host Jeopardy! after a lengthy hiatus, having stood with the writer’s strike, and Ken was named sole host.
Ken now helms all editions of Jeopardy! including Celebrity Jeopardy!, the nightly show, and other primetime specials like Masters.
The Burbank, California team lead, looking to be crowned a super-champion, faced off against Jay and Erika Stromerson.
His troubles began when he stumbled into last place after floundering on a $30000 Daily Double.
Jay stormed ahead with $7000, while Erika had $600 and Isaac sat in last place with $400.
“You are in third place, I believe, for the first time in your run,” Ken pointed out as Isaac winced in pain.
During Double Jeopardy!, Isaac’s struggles continued when he found Daily Doubles back-to-back.
He missed the second Daily Double, which was worth $5000, and was correct on the third but made a cautious bet under the allotted amount.
He and Jay fought the good fight until the end, with Isaac making his way to a close second place in Final Jeopardy with $15,300.
By that point in the game, Jay had $16,200 and Erika still had $600.
In the final round, the “1960s People” clue was revealed as, “He said that California prison psych tests he took were ones he had designed, so he made himself look docile & unlikely to escape; then he did.”
None of the three competitors guessed Timothy Leary.
Isaac not only got the answer wrong but accidentally over-wagered with $14,000, dropping his final score to $1,300.
Jay wagered $14,001, which dropped his total to $1,799.
Upon realizing his mistake, Isaac did a full 360 at the podium and help up his pink wagering scrap paper to the camera.
He looked shocked as he realized that the amount was too large to win if he got the answer wrong, which he did.
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