Ken Jennings from Jeopardy! pokes fun at the break as fans beg for his return amid Mayim Bialik’s new tournament

KEN Jennings has spoken out about his hiatus from hosting Jeopardy! made fun of.

He is expected to return later this week after Mayim Bialik hosted a new tournament.

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Mayim has been officiating the High School Reunion Tournament for the past few weeks.

This means that Ken is absent, waiting to play for the regular Jeopardy! to come back

Fans weren’t happy with the way Mayim was hosting and begged for the former champion to come back.

You won’t have to wait long, though, as he’ll be back on fans’ TV screens on March 10th.

A Twitter user asked him what he does when he’s not hosting last week, and Ken had the perfect answer.

“@KenJennings just wonders how you spend your time when not filming danger,” they asked Friday.

Ken quoted hers tweet and joked, “I go into one of those freezer boxes from the Alien movies when Mayim is hosting and vice versa.”

He was joking, of course, but fans erupted in the comments.

DOUBLE OBLIGATION

However, Ken gave a hint as to what he’s up to when he’s not on Jeopardy!

The 48-year-old announced the date of his upcoming book on social media.

The former Jeopardy! master tweeted: “My new book will be published in June!”

The star explained that 100 Places to See After You Die is “a guide to the afterlife, from ancient Egypt to The Good Place.”

He concluded, “So you might want to order it soon, just in case.”

Fans were ecstatic about the new book, with one person commenting, “What a clever idea. I originally chose a cornfield in Iowa, but it’s always nice to poke around in there.”

Another added: “How exciting! Congratulations,” while one said, “Congratulations! By the way, I don’t know what’s been going on with Jeopardy lately, but you’re the perfect replacement for Alex Trebek…”

THE HOSTING SCHEDULE

On the podcast episode of Inside Jeopardy! Trivia show producer Sarah Foss confirmed the hosting schedule.

“Ken Jennings will be back on March 10th and will then continue the remainder of his syndicated run, which will take us through April 28th,” Sarah explained.

“Then Mayim will take over on May 1st and will be with us throughout the summer.”

The producer also revealed, “Reigning Champion Stephen Webb will return in syndication alongside Ken Jennings on March 10th.”

“We look forward to seeing if Stephen’s streak can continue!” she concluded.

Ken will also host the new Jeopardy! Masters spinoff, scheduled to air on ABC in the spring during prime time.

In the meantime, the duo has divided up the hosting tasks.

Last year, Ken and Mayim became the permanent substitutes for the late longtime host Alex Trebek.

Alex tragically died of pancreatic cancer in 2020 at the age of 80.

BREAK FOR WORRY

Danger! Fans pointed out what they think might be the “most annoying” thing about Mayim’s hosting style compared to Ken’s.

Dozens of viewers accused the actress of an “annoying pause” before correctly deciding a contestant that’s driving her up the wall.

On various social media platforms, fans are putting their common fingers on where the vitriol could have come from.

Mayim takes her time before saying “that’s right” — especially on a “daily double,” like she did with student Avi Gupta last night, and it’s affecting her cause, the contestants and the viewing pleasure.

On Reddit, a fan seriously asked, “Really serious question: why don’t people like Mayim as a host?”

Another user replied, “Your long pause after someone gave their Daily Double answer is driving me nuts.”

“‘………that’s right,'” wrote a third, impersonating the TV host.

A fourth harshly accused him: “Mayim makes it sound like I’m listening to a soundboard rather than a real human being hosting a game show.”

And a fifth put it more gently: “Agreed, she can be quite stiff.

Over on Twitter, one fan wrote, “Mayim, no need to pause for dramatic effect before he says, ‘That’s right.'”

A second wrote: “Mayim didn’t lose that annoying pause before saying yes or no.”

“Why is Mayim making these weird pauses when someone is right?” wondered a third.

And a fourth: “The pauses before she says yes/no are so bizarre.

“Yes, that! Is she trying to create tension? Big failure,” answered another.

“Because she’s not a natural all-around knowledge lover like Ken & Alex,” claimed a fifth, thinking Mayim takes the time to review her clue sheet to confirm the correct answer every time.

“So just the questions [don’t] Flow. I can’t watch now. And the way Mayim corrects or expands on the participants’ answers drives me crazy! The tone is just so condescending.”

Others agreed that she’s doing a “serviceable job” on Celebrity Jeopardy compared to the lightning-fast regular show.

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