Jeopardy! fans, a months-long mystery about who will be the face of new episodes is now officially solved.
Ahead of the hit quiz show's season 40 premiere on September 11, an official announcement revealed who would be the official host of the upcoming installments. According to multiple reports, the series' production company, Sony Pictures, shared that Ken Jennings would be the primary host, replacing co-host Mayim Bialik in a full-time capacity. What's more, the news came just hours before the first episode aired in syndication.
If that wasn't enough of a confirmation, when viewers tuned in to see the premiere on TV, they saw Ken standing at the host's podium to face the contestants playing in that night's game.
The news of Ken taking over Jeopardy! as the sole host comes weeks after the franchise shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) another gig he'll do for them.
Along with the original iteration, he will also be the sole host of Celebrity Jeopardy! season 2 starting September 27 at 8 p.m. ET, which Mayim previously was the face of in its inaugural season.
The news comes after months of speculation about Ken's future on the show. Fans of the series may know that when the WGA strike began in May, Mayim stepped away during the final week of season 39 as a motion of solidarity with the writers. While it's unclear whether she'll ever return to the franchise, at least a huge mystery was solved.
As for what folks can expect from season 40, showrunner Michael Davies shared on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast a couple of changes due to the ongoing strike. They'll not only replace recycle old questions from seasons past, but no new contestants will appear on the season either.
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
