'Jeopardy!' Fans Have a Lot to Say About Ken Jennings' Hosting Announcement

By Michael Hein

Jeopardy! fans are not happy to see long-time champion and occasional host Ken Jennings stepping away from the series once again. Jennings has been sharing hosting duties on the game show with actress Mayim Bialik throughout this season, and on Saturday he announced that Bialik will be hosting again "for a few months." Many fans are sick of this juggling act and excited to see a full-time host instated.

The Jeopardy! hosting drama is a long, arduous saga that many fans are tired of after the death of long-time host Alex Trebek. The short version is that a series of celebrity guest hosts read the clues last season, and in the end executive producer Mike Richards was named as the new host. Fans were displeased and a handful of controversial revelations about Richards' work behind the camera lost him the job before he even got started. Producers then announced that Bialik and Jennings would split hosting duties for the rest of the season, but it is still not clear whether this is a permanent arrangement.

In the case of Bialik, she was likely chosen because she already had an ongoing affiliation planned with the game show. She is expected to host some primetime specials and spinoffs in the coming years. Jennings, meanwhile, is a fan favorite to become the new permanent host, though he is not unanimously beloved, of course. Still, of all the available picks he seems to be one of the most popular – at least judging by social media commentary.

The responses to Jennings' announcement on Saturday were split accordingly. However, if one thing unifies Jeopardy! viewers right now it's a desire to get this matter settled once and for all. Many just want the show to have a permanent host and to turn the focus back to the contestants themselves, and the game itself. Here's a look at what they are saying now.

Jennings Fans

Obviously since Jennings got this conversation started, many of the top responses were from fans of his. Some even said they would not be watching the show while Jennings is on hiatus.

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Picking Sides

Many fans are of the opinion that Jeopardy! has narrowed down its choices to either Bialik or Jennings, and they were not shy about sharing their preferences in the comments under Jennings' tweet.

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Decisive

Others called on the show itself to settle down and select a permanent host already – whoever it may be.

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Whiplash

Fans complained that the constant switching of hosts is a distraction from the game and everything they like about the show.

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Trebek

Considering Jennings' friendship with the late Alex Trebek, many fans argued that he is the more appropriate pick for a permanent Jeopardy! host.

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Mattea Roach

Many of Jennings' fans reposted his endorsement from recent champion Mattea Roach. They felt that her opinion should count for a lot in this regard.

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Holdouts

Finally, there are some fans still staunchly holding out for a different host they prefer, including some of the stars who were guest hosts last year and some who have never appeared on the game show at all. For now, Jeopardy! has not given any hint about which way they will go on this issue.

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