Ken Jennings is taking aim at his on-air rival.
The Jeopardy! host reportedly made an insulting remark in front of his live studio audience, and his rival, Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest, was the target.
Ken’s comments were caught off-camera by a Jeopardy! insider, who spilled the tea to The Sun.
Per the outlet’s informant, Ken engaged with a Jeopardy! audience during a live taping.
After filming the episode, Ken chatted up the viewers, cracking a joke about Ryan Seacrest and Jeopardy! fans were laughing right along with him.
“After a recent taping, Ken asked the live audience if they enjoyed their time at the show before asking if any of them wished they’d gone to see Wheel of Fortune instead,” the source tells The Sun.
Jeopardy! viewers appreciated Ken Jennings’ dig at Ryan Seacrest
Apparently, Ken’s remarks were made in jest and Jeopardy! viewers played along.
“The crowd erupted in laughter and seemed to appreciate him making fun of the rivalry and not taking it so seriously,” the source added.
According to the insider, Ken enjoys interacting with everyone on the Jeopardy! set, including his co-workers and the guests in the audience at Sony Pictures Studios.
But Ken is quite modest about his fame, adds the source.
The insider shared that Ken is “very humble, really kind to everyone on set, and eager to answer questions from guests.”
“It seems the role hasn’t gone to his head. There’s no ego about him at all.”
Ryan’s Wheel of Fortune success has reportedly put Ken in a threatening position at Jeopardy!
Ken and Ryan are in somewhat similar positions. Both have taken over important hosting roles and filled some big shoes.
When his former sidekick, Mayim Bialik, left the show last year, Ken became Jeopardy!’s permanent solo host.
Meanwhile, Ryan made his Wheel of Fortune debut in September 2024, replacing longtime host Pat Sajak for Season 42.
Wheel of Fortune fans were leery of Ryan hosting the show, but despite some early criticism, he’s proven that he’s got what it takes.
In fact, Ryan’s numbers speak for themselves. Ryan’s first episode on Season 42 of Wheel of Fortune brought in 9.63 million viewers—that was 70 percent more than Season 41’s premiere.
Ryan’s success is reportedly bad news for Ken, however. Ken’s hosting job is said to be on the chopping block after Ryan’s spectacular ratings were reported.
Given Ryan’s “star power” and experience hosting television shows, Ken’s producers are keeping a close eye on him and his numbers.
If Ryan continues to blow Ken’s ratings out of the water, Ken could “get the boot at any time,” a source claims.