Ken Jennings (left) playing against IBM's Watson (center). Photo: Flickr

LOS ANGELES, California. — Ken Jennings is the American game show contestant with the highest earnings of all time. He is the record holder for the longest winning streak of 74 consecutive wins on the U.S. game show Jeopardy. Jennings is a graduate of Bringham Young University (BYU).

“I thought it should be Ken from the start of the search,” said Jeopardy superfan Sue Gleich. The original host of the show Alex Trebek announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer. He passed away on November 8, 2020.

Buzzy Cohen has been temporarily hosting to which Joe Gleich, who rarely misses an episode said, “Buzzy’s doing a really good job.” Other temporary hosts have included NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, newscaster Katie Couric who has taken a bobsled ride in Park City, tv host Dr. Mehmet Oz who spends a lot of time in Park City, Jennings, and Mike Richards. Richards is the long-time producer of primetime Jeopardy and had named himself one of the new hosts along with actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialic. Bialic has since been confirmed as the new host for the counterpart daytime game show.

Past recordings from more than a decade ago surfaced recently in which Richards is heard making remarks that some have labeled as sexist. After public backlash throughout the last month, Richards withdrew himself from the hosting position citing not wanting to distract from the program but not before recording a week’s worth of shows that could broadcast this week.

Lavar Burton, another temporary host, has long been a fan favorite to clinch the win and be named the new permanent host. He’s made no secret of his desires to see that come to fruition on his social media. Joe Gleich said, “He was great in Star Trek but I’m not sure he has the personality for Jeopardy.” Sue Gleich concurred saying, “He was smart on Reading Rainbow, however, he doesn’t seem to be just the right fit for Jeopardy.” The Gleiches both also agreed that former Jeopardy contestant James Holzhauer would make an engaging host, however, he has not shown interest in the open position. Holzhauer, a sports gambler had a 32-game winning streak on the show in 2019.

It remains to be seen who will fill the beloved shoes of Trebek.

Season 38 of Jeopardy premiers tomorrow night, Monday, September 13.