DANGER! host Ken Jennings just turned 50, and the game show completely surprised him with a birthday tribute that will air soon.
Producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss gave fans a recap of Ken’s onstage celebration — which was a total surprise — before it aired.
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Champion-turned-host Ken went the big 5-0 on May 23, 2024, and Jeopardy! did not let the milestone go unnoticed.
Unfortunately, Ken couldn’t be with his wife and two children because he had to record the show that day.
Therefore, the game show dedicated an entire episode to him, which will air in the coming weeks.
Because the show is taped well in advance, his actual birthday didn’t air on the day it was taped – but it will soon, whether he likes it or not.
‘VERY APPRECIATIVE’
On Monday’s Inside Jeopardy! podcast, producer Foss discussed the surprise anniversary episode, which was actually a total surprise.
“We actually recorded it on his birthday,” she shared, explaining that he didn’t expect his birthday to line up with the recording schedule.
“We had the idea that when Ken came out, it would be really cool if the audience came out with those faces that you held up with a stick.
“So we went and took all these photos of Ken throughout his life: Ken as a child, Ken as a teenager, Ken as a competitor and Ken as a presenter.
“We put birthday hats on them and printed them so everyone in the audience got one.”
“The whole team got down and was holding their heads. The people in the cabin were also holding their heads.
“We turned off the feed so Ken wouldn’t know.
“Ken comes out, everyone’s heads are high, and I run backstage to light his cookie dish – Ken doesn’t like cake.
“So we brought that out and sang Happy Birthday to Ken.
“The night before we also decorated his dressing room, he’s not at home but he has his Jeopardy! family,” she continued.
Former champion Buzzy Cohen, guest host of the podcast, asked: “Does he like being celebrated like that?”
Sarah responded bluntly: “I’m sorry he doesn’t like it.
“But he was very grateful for it.
“He’s not a ‘I need to celebrate my birthday’ guy, but he was very kind.”
‘NIGHTMARE FUEL’
The show shared a YouTube clip of the upcoming episode, which will be dedicated to him.
In the clip, Ken is surprised to hear Johnny Gilbert, 95, declare: “On his 50th birthday, here’s Ken Jennings!”
It was pretty clear that the host had no idea he would receive a full tribute episode.
The tip board was transformed into a giant display that said “Happy Birthday, Ken,” with photos of his face from the infantry to today.
Ken bowed shyly, taking center stage as always, but noticed something was different.
Everyone in the audience held cutouts of Ken through the years, adorned with birthday hats.
“Wow, look at this,” he said as Kens’ avalanche could be seen through the crowd.
“It’s a bit of nightmare fuel, but thanks!”
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“Oh, wow, look at this,” Ken kept turning to the tip board.
“All categories will be about my life!” he joked.
Then, the entire audience and crew sang happy birthday to Ken as he blew a cake and posed with the intriguing creation.
‘ALEX WOULD BE PROUD’
Fans flooded the comments section of the YouTube clip loving the winning tribute.
“Happy 50th birthday, Ken Jennings! It warms my heart to see you go from being a record Jeopardy champion!
“I don’t normally comment on YouTube videos, but Jeopardy! got it right when they hired this man as host. More qualified, with a great personality, people like James came after him and got all the smoke,” wrote another.
“Happy 50th Ken. I love you as our Jeopardy host. Hope you had a great day, fan,” wrote a third.
HE IS THE GOAT!
Ken holds the record for longest winning streak on Jeopardy! story with 74 consecutive victories in 2004.
Now, he has taken on the role of full-time host of the series.
Ken was born on May 23, 1974, in Edmonds, Washington, a suburb of Seattle.
His father was a lawyer overseas, and Jennings spent 15 years growing up in South Korea and Singapore.
Having returned to the US, the Mormon host attended Brigham Young University in 1996, where he met his future wife, Mindy Boam.
Ken and Mindy now have two children, Dylan and Caitlin Jennings.
Host Alex Trebek died in November 2020 after battling pancreatic cancer.
Danger! Host timeline
Danger! has had a tumultuous history regarding hosts following the death of the iconic Alex Trebek in 2020. Here are every host since the game show’s inception in 1964.
Art Fleming – from 1964 to 1975, he was the original host of the daytime version of Jeopardy! on NBC.
Alex Trebek – From 1984 to 2020, the late, great Alex hosted the modern iteration of Jeopardy! for 36 years until his death from pancreatic cancer.
Guest Hosts – 2020 to 2021, Jeopardy! tested a series of guest hosts for one- or two-week stints, including Anderson Cooper, LaVar Burton and Aaron Rodgers.
Mike Richards – 2021, he was named host for a week before resigning amid controversy. He was the show’s executive producer at the time.
Mayim Bialik – 2021 to 2023, when Mike was announced as the show’s new host, Mayim was chosen to host tournaments and primetime specials.
Mayim and Ken Jennings – 2022 to 2023, 74-time champion Ken (the winningest contestant of all time) joined Mayim as guest host and they shared hosting duties.
Ken Jennings – 2023 to present. Last December, Mayim announced on Instagram that she would “no longer” host Jeopardy! After a long hiatus, having defended the writers’ strike, Ken was named sole host.
Ken now runs all editions of Jeopardy! including Celebrity Jeopardy!, the late night show and other primetime specials such as Masters.
After a series of guest hosts, officials announced that producer Mike Richards and actress Mayim Bialik would take over as co-hosts.
However, in August 2021, Richards resigned due to resurfaced sexist comments and Ken stepped in to share hosting duties with Mayim.
In July 2022, it was announced that Mayim and Ken would continue to host together for the 39th season.
However, following the show’s hiatus in the summer of 2023, it was revealed that Jennings would take over as permanent host for season 40.
Mayim announced in a personal Instagram message in late December 2023 that she would “no longer host” the show.
Ken later said he “understood” the decision, as the shows “don’t have two hosts”.
Now, Ken runs every facet of Jeopardy! including specials and spinoffs.
Meanwhile, today, June 2nd, is another milestone day for Ken, as it marked the day his winning streak began broadcasting – and the rest is history.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
