Being a Jeopardy! champion is rather a lot completely different than being the host of Jeopardy!. Ken Jennings shared the one factor he has realized since changing into the host in 2021, and what he does in a different way than Alex Trebek.
Speaking with KUOW, Ken Jennings mentioned that he realized it’s arduous to know the way contestants will play the sport when the lights and cameras are on them and an viewers is watching.
“Individuals who have been nice on a written take a look at get overwhelmed in that [environment] as a result of it’s overwhelming,” the host shared, explaining, “Jeopardy! strikes so quick.”
However he is aware of that the contestants are conducting a lifelong dream. A variety of emotions emerge throughout the recreation as a result of there are numerous issues that contestants can not management. As a result of he understands the stress they’re going by way of, Jennings has modified up one thing the earlier host used to do.
Trebek would meet the contestants for the primary time originally of the present, throughout the introductions. However Jennings prefers to provide slightly greeting earlier than the sport present begins. “I wish to say, ‘I’m in your facet right here. We’re going to do nice. It’s truly going to be enjoyable while you look again on this, consider it or not,” he advised the outlet.
Jennings was selling his trivia ebook, The Full Kennections, and his life principally revolves round trivia. “Jeopardy! specifically, is a spot the place, each night time, for half an hour, info matter,” Jennings mentioned. As a result of rise of AI, and the way he misplaced to a pc on the IBM Watson problem 14 years in the past, Jennings suppose fact-checking is so essential, particularly with trivia.
“Trivia ought to convey individuals collectively, as a result of regardless of the title, it’s not normally trivial. It’s normally stuff that we collectively know as a tradition,” he shared on the significance of trivia. “Earlier than the age of specialization, this was the type of factor that united us as a tradition. I wish to suppose it has the potential to do it once more.”
Jennings desires to debunk the parable that trivia exists solely to make another person really feel higher about themselves as a result of they know a selected reality.
Jeopardy!, Season 42, September 8, examine native listings