‘Jeopardy!’ Ken Jennings Closes Season 38 With Special Message

Jeopardy! permanent host Ken Jennings paid a tribute to the late Alex Trebek during the season finale. This comes after fans accused him of snubbing the legend on his July 22nd birthday. The 48-year-old closed the final episode of Season 38 with the original words from the original host. Read on to learn more.

Ken Jennings snubbed Alex Trebek?

Jeopardy! fans are already not happy with the quiz show. As TV Shows Ace previously reported, they claimed that Trebek is rolling in his grave over the latest news. Both Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik were announced as the new permanent, full-time hosts. This comes after there was speculation over who would end up with the coveted position.

They fought it for much of Season 38. In the previous season, a series of celebrity guest hosts tried out for the top spot. Former executive producer Mike Richards ended up with the position until he was ousted by his own sins. Since then, Ken and Mayim passed the baton back and forth until the underwhelming news was revealed.

In a previous episode, fans accused both the show and Ken Jennings of snubbing Alex on what would’ve been his 82nd birthday. Ken introduced the players and shared the show’s categories, but he made no mention of the legendary host’s birthday. The official Jeopardy! Twitter account shared a tribute about Alex on his special day.

“Happy 82nd birthday to the man who showed us the power of knowledge,” the tweet read. “Celebrate Alex’s incredible legacy by learning about the recently-opened Trebek Center at @hopeofthevalley, an organization near and dear to his heart.”

Happy 82nd birthday to the man who showed us the power of knowledge 🎂

Celebrate Alex’s incredible legacy by learning about the recently-opened Trebek Center at @hopeofthevalley, an organization near and dear to his heart: https://t.co/9pBnSPeAj1 pic.twitter.com/2fPANLGeC3

— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) July 22, 2022

Fans found it strange that Ken Jennings never mentioned him in that same episode. They feel that he would’ve since they were always close. It’s possible that the show didn’t realize this particular episode would’ve fallen on Alex’s birthday. The episodes are normally filmed weeks or months ahead of time.

Jeopardy! Season 38 season finale

During Friday’s broadcast of Jeopardy!, Ken Jennings closed the show with a special message. He looked into the camera with a smile on his face. He paid tribute to the icon for making this all possible.

“Thanks for being with us on the Alex Trebek stage folks!” Ken Jennings said. “As Alex used to say: ‘So long!'”

He closed out the show with a smile as the three contestants applauded his speech. In September 2021, Stage 10 at Sony Pictures Studios was renamed in honor of the late host. Alex hosted the show for 30 years before passing away from his battle with cancer on November 8, 2020. Fans hoped that Ken would’ve been the natural successor to Alex’s reign.

What are your thoughts on Ken’s closing message? Do you still miss Alex Trebek? What are your thoughts on Season 38 of Jeopardy? Sound off below in the comment section.

Check back with TV Shows Ace for more news on Ken Jennings.