Ken Jennings is finally buzzing in on a frequently-asked question about hosting Jeopardy!.
The quiz show host and former Jeopardy! champion recently appeared on Good Morning America, where he was asked if he ever misses playing the game.
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Jennings, who began as a guest host in early 2021 following the death of Alex Trebek, is also one of the most decorated champs in the show’s history, officially earning G.O.A.T. status after winnings Jeopardy‘s Greatest of All Time competition in 2020.
Now, years after hanging up his Jeopardy! buzzer, Jennings was asked by GMA’s George Stephanopoulos if he ever misses being behind the player lecterns.
“I would say hosting scratches the same itch,” Jennings, 51, said during the Wednesday, March 4 broadcast of GMA.
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“I’m still playing the game very fast in my head,” he continued. “I don’t have the buzzer, but I’m still seeing all the clues [and thinking], ‘Oh I know this one. Let’s see if they get it.'”
“It feels like I’m playing,” he continued, while jokingly calling himself the “fourth player,” who never gets to buzz in.
During the conversation with Stephanopoulos, as well as co-hosts Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, Lara Spencer and Sam Champion, Jennings also confirmed that he sees the scripts for each game before the show is filmed, as some of the clues and responses can be difficult to pronounce.
“It’s hard to pronounce this stuff,” he told the GMA hosts, adding, “I need the time [to prepare].”
Before becoming the show’s permanent host in 2023, Jennings was one of the most famous players to ever compete on the Jeopardy! stage, a result of his historic 74-game winning streak during his 2004 run. He also holds the record for the highest regular-season winnings with a whopping $2.52 million.
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