JEOPARDY! fans have spotted a “clue” of the EXACT day Ken Jennings will return.
Viewers missing the alum on host hiatus may not have to wait much longer.
Actress Mayim Bialik, 46, has hosted Jeopardy! for the past six weeks after Ken’s earlier stint and announcement he’d be out for “months.”
“I’m handing the keys back to the talented actor-producer-writer-director (!) Mayim Bialik for a few months,” the fan-favorite surprisingly tweeted in May, adding, “We are lucky to have her! I’ll be back before the end of the season.”
Many fans have supported Ken’s decision to take a breather, as one replied, “You will be missed!”
However, another wrote, “A few months?! That’s a long time without the true host.”
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Many fans prefer Ken since he famously won the most games of Jeopardy! ever in 2004 and is considered the natural successor to Alex Trebek.
Not to mention his ratings have made a ‘bigger bang’ than Mayim’s and episodes generally have gone more smoothly.
The permanent hosting slot is said to be decided by the end of Season 38 in July 2022.
But one internet sleuth has spotted the exact day Ken may be getting those proverbial keys back.
JULY 4TH & BEYOND?
On Tuesday, a Reddit user spotted an interesting detail on their TV listings.
They began a thread, “Any word on who’s hosting the July 4 game? My Xfinity guide doesn’t say.”
The user shared a photo that showed up to that date, Mayim was still listed as the host.
But July 4th’s listing did not have a host named.
Fireworks went off with excited fans as one wrote: “Ken tweeted before that he will be back before the Season 38 finale.
Most likely Ken will host the remaining 4 weeks of the show.”
Another realized that, as Jeopardy! pre-tapes its episodes months in advance, Ken could even remain at the prominent podium into Season 39.
“They usually start taping the next season in late July,” they wrote.
A HOST OF HINTS
Ken stated on his podcast Ombibus that he was indeed returning soon.
On his wispy brown hair, he shared on June 2, “It’s very short right now, but this is calculated. I need to be on TV in exactly three weeks.”
“I have to have it the exact right length. I’m going to be on… I’ve got to do Jeopardy! again, but they will trim it that day.”
“So then I can get back down. There’s a lot of math that goes into this.”
Ken’s quiet time off has included photos of mysterious trips to untagged locations, though knowledge-hungry fans spotted a visit to Hawaii as well as time spent at home in Washington.
Ken lives in a $3M mountainous mansion with his wife, two children and dog Chance – and has been there for eight years.
Earlier, a Reddit user also claimed their “Advanced Xfinity listings [said] that Mayim will be hosting through at least the week of June 20 and presumably, the week of June 27.”
“So assuming Mayim is hosting through July 1, Ken won’t return until July 4 at the earliest,” they added – corroborating the July 4th blank bombshell.
MADDENING MAYIM
Ken and Mayim began filling in for the legendary Alex after his tragic 2020 passing and a fleet of Season 37 celebrity guest hosts, including now-disgraced Mike Richards.
The fact that the hosting slot is still undecided has scored quite the debate, as the late Alex had hosted since 1984.
The show’s ratings nearly doubled to 9.7M viewers when Ken made his first appearance.
When Mayim took over her hosting duties the headcount dropped to 5.9 million viewers during a college championship and indeed, she hasn’t bested Ken’s ratings since during Season 38.
It’s been an impressive season contestant-wise – Canadian tutor Mattea Roach, beloved rideshare driver Ryan Long, Amy Schneider, and Matt Amodio, all from this stunning season, will compete in the Tournament of Champions in November.
But even Amy and Mattea – whose run ended the day before Ken shared his podium pause – stated right afterward she wanted Ken to take over.
“As a contestant, there is something really special about being on stage with the greatest player of all time,” she told Vulture.
Many fans have found Mayim to be a perfectly palatable presence, but hundreds have tweeted about her off-putting poise during the typically enjoyable Q&A segments.
Mayim, who studied neuroscience, replied to one contestant’s earnest autism testing Q&A with a joke: “Glad to hear spitting in a tube went better than taking blood,” the host bluntly said.
Mayim had another joke that flatlined with fans – she told a doctor he was “just an anesthesiologist, not a surgeon.”
She’s also made news for her controversial rulings on contestants’ responses, having to walk back her blunt “no” to a player last night and give them back the points in a messy mistake.
Mayim also recently made an off-color joke about marijuana and last week, fans were furious when a contestant lost FJ due to their handwriting but seemingly not their response.
Even current champ Megan apologized on behalf of the show and hoped that player – who indeed wrote “Harriet Tubman” but Mayim ruled it illegible – could compete again.
“That was an absolute robbery,” one fan wrote to Facebook on last Friday’s shocking signature snub.
“Sadie [the player who was not allowed the points] won fair and square. I’ve seen answers written much messier than that handwriting was, she very obviously had the right answer given.
“I like Megan, but Sadie WON. And for the love of god, how much longer do I have to endure Mayim?”
Fans have also found Mayim to be slow with simply ruling responses correct or not in general.
With her quiz show-style spectacles, suits to match and a wide grin of willingness, Mayim has found her footing to an extent.
But many are simply feeling Alex’s are big shoes to fill and Ken is the man to fill them.
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That said, Ken may be his own worst enemy – he was considered a “shoo-in” by SONY in 2021 per Esquire before his problematic “wheelchair” tweets resurfaced and the journey became a longer one.
Jeopardy! airs weeknights at 7 pm on ABC.
