Ken Jennings hosted Jeopardy! since 2021, as he and Mayim Bialik have alternated as hosts of the series. Now, the highest-earning American game show contestant has fans asking when he’s coming back for good.
The American game show host, who has won a total of $4,522,700 on five different game shows, has split hosting duties on a new full-time basis since July 2022 – beginning with Jeopardy!‘s 39th season.
Now, Ken is sometimes there to present the game show alongside Mayim, but many are wondering when he is coming back properly and where he has been this week. So, when is he returning and how much does he make?
When is Ken Jennings coming back to Jeopardy?
Ken is coming back to Jeopardy! from July 3 until the season 39 finale. He is also hosting Jeopardy! Masters in primetime for ABC until May 24, meaning fans will have to wait over a month to see his face again.
Since Ken and Mayim Bialik shared hosting duties full-time from July 2022, fans have been divided over the two’s roles. Ken hosted most of the first half of the season before what was supposed to be his final episode on April 28.
Ken, who was initially not slated to appear in the final episodes of the current season, will take Mayim’s place as host for the remaining episodes after she reportedly walked off-set due to the writers’ strike on May 11.
Episodes were set to film on Tuesday, May 16, through Friday, May 19.
For anyone keeping score, I'm with Mayim. #jeopardy
— Ken Ackerman (@ViralHistory) May 19, 2023How much does Ken make as a host?
Ken makes $1 million a season, Radar Online reports. Mayam earns the same salary, but it is believed that the late Alex Trebek, former host of Jeopardy, brought in $10 million per year.
In September 2020, Ken signed on as a consulting producer of Jeopardy! for the show’s 37th season, a job that included reading on-air categories,which ended in the months following Trebek’s death later in the season.
Jeopardy! fans are in uproar
As Ken and Mayim have shared hosting duties for Jeopardy! for almost a year, many demands that just one of them become a permanent host, and several of those people want Ken to fill that role for good.
One fan wrote: “Please!!! Ken and only Ken! No comparison. I truly do not understand why they are splitting hosting duties. Alex handled it for years and I’m sure Ken can, too!”
Another penned: “We only want Ken. No one else!!!”
“Let’s get Ken back on the daily episodes!” reacted a fan on Twitter.
Haven't really made a personal post here in a while, so I thought I would return with a definitely pressing demand: make Ken Jennings the permanent host of Jeopardy! #Jeopardy
— Brighton Grace (@BrightonGrace37) May 12, 2023WATCH JEOPARDY! ON CBS WEEKDAYS AT 7.30 PM
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