Ken Jennings reportedly didn't get the Jeopardy! host job because of his old tweets

Ken Jennings
(Image credit: Jeopardy!)

All throughout the search for the next Jeopardy! host, former champion Ken Jennings was widely thought to be the frontrunner. So what happened?

A new report from The Wall Street Journal published Friday provides some answers, revealing that like many fans, executives at Sony Pictures Entertainment initially saw Jennings as an "ideal successor" to Alex Trebek. After all, he was a major fan favorite and is well known for his 74-game winning streak on the quiz show, and the Journal says that executives felt confident he would "grow into the role."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.