‘Jeopardy!’: Alex Trebek Was ‘Infuriated’ When Contestants Had Low Winnings, Including Ken Jennings
Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek was the face of the television game show for so long that he also became the heart of it. As a result, game contestants always sought to interact with him and have a special moment to remember their time on the show. However, Trebek was occasionally “infuriated” when Jeopardy! contestants would earn low winnings or not push their lead enough. Celebrated champion Ken Jennings wasn’t even immune to these responses from the host.
Alex Trebek was the heart and face of ‘Jeopardy!’
Trebek hosted Jeopardy! for a staggering 37 seasons from 1984 to 2020. He died on Nov. 8, 2020, after battling pancreatic cancer. Trebek earned respect from Jeopardy! contestants and audiences around the world for many years. As a result, many of the game’s players found meeting the famous host was one of the greatest highlights of their experience.
Trebek had high expectations of those who played the game. After all, the contestants had to go through an extensive process before landing their spot on the show. No one sought to do poorly on Jeopardy!, especially not in front of Trebek on national television, who was particularly difficult to impress.
Alex Trebek wanted to see ‘Jeopardy!’ contestants win big
According to Claire McNear’s Answers in the Form of Questions, Trebek was “infuriated” when Jeopardy! champion Jennings wouldn’t push his luck for bigger winnings. The host wanted to see him exceed the $52,000 record for a single day’s winnings, which the champion tied on three separate occasions. Trebek continued to encourage him until he finally beat the record with $75,000.
Trebek always wanted to see Jeopardy! contestants exceed all expectations when it came to their winnings. He wasn’t afraid to comment on embarrassingly-low winnings. Over the course of four separate games back in 2016, the winners weren’t able to exceed $17,000, so Trebek said, “In case you’re joining us for the first time this week, I’ll just say it’s been a weird, weird week. Enough said.”
The host certainly made it known when he was disappointed with the final scores, but it wasn’t always so negative. He occasionally did egg on contestants to succeed. Trebek once told contestants on an episode: “I’ll express the same thing I said yesterday: I hope we get a big payday today! It’s up to you guys.”
He was no stranger of game shows
Before Trebek became the face of Jeopardy!, he already had experience working on other game shows. It all originally started in 1973 with The Wizard of Odds and again in 1974 for a game called High Rollers. Trebek also worked on Double Dare for a short time and accepted working in guest appearances in other shows, including Card Sharks, which was also on NBC. Trebek worked hard on Jeopardy! for many years, comforting audiences in their own home in their own homes, so it’s no wonder why he earned such respect.
Since Trebek died in 2020, the production sought to find a new host. They brought guests onto the show, which were big shoes to fill for anyone. Mayim Bialik ultimately hosted primetime versions and supported hosting duties for the syndicated version. Additionally, Jennings shared hosting duties on the syndicated version.
