“Jeopardy!” Host Says His Latter-day Saint Faith Matters More Than His Job

Ken Jennings has spent much of his adult life connected to “Jeopardy!,” first as the contestant whose record-setting run made him a household name and now as the host entrusted with succeeding Alex Trebek. Yet Jennings says even the job at the center of his public life remains less important than the convictions he developed through his upbringing in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

During a wide-ranging interview on W. Kamau Bell’s podcast “Who’s With Me?,” Jennings reflected on his journey from a child who ran home to watch “Jeopardy!” to the person responsible for carrying the program forward after Trebek’s death. He also discussed how his faith influences his public conduct, political views, charitable giving and approach to fame.

“I have convictions of right and wrong that run deeper than my desire to keep my extremely well-paid job, and if I ever had to choose, I would go with the convictions,” Jennings said. He directly attributed those convictions to his Church upbringing.

Carrying the “Jeopardy!” Legacy

Jennings told Bell that producers originally planned for him to guest-host while longtime host Alex Trebek underwent another round of treatment for pancreatic cancer. Trebek died the night before Jennings planned to rehearse, about a day and a half after the two men spoke.

When production resumed a few weeks later, Jennings entered a workplace grieving the person who had defined the program for decades. “I didn’t want to see anybody else hosting ‘Jeopardy!’; I didn’t want it to be me,” he recalled, adding, “I wanted it to be Alex.”

Longtime staff members reassured Jennings that his history with the show made the transition easier for them, telling him that he reminded them of Trebek. Jennings drew on Trebek’s belief that the program should remain centered on the contestants and clues rather than the host.

“If you notice anything I’m doing on ‘Jeopardy!,’ odds are something’s gone wrong,” Jennings said. He believes the host should generally recede, allowing moments of personality to emerge naturally rather than competing with the game.

When Conviction Becomes Political

Jennings differs from Trebek in his willingness to express political opinions outside the program. He noted that audiences already knew his views before he began guest-hosting “Jeopardy!” and said his position should not restrict his rights as a citizen.

Bell specifically raised Jennings’s public comments about Immigration and Customs Enforcement and transgender rights. “If I had to sacrifice either my favorite game show or my convictions of right and wrong, that’s not really a close call,” Jennings responded.

Jennings said someone might see him at a protest against ICE actions in the Twin Cities or find records of his political contributions because his views are not secret. Although he tries not to respond publicly from anger, he said, “I don’t think we’re in a moment where it’s going to age particularly well to keep your head down.”

The discussion extended beyond immigration enforcement to transgender and reproductive rights. Jennings connected his willingness to address such issues with the responsibility he feels toward people whose safety, rights and well-being may depend on others speaking up.

“This platform, if it’s going to mean anything, it’s going to be because I at least said something when things were wrong,” Jennings said. He also argued that protecting the rights and well-being of others benefits the entire community.

“If everybody in the community has everything they need and feels safe and protected and educated and well-fed, that’s a better neighborhood,” he said. Jennings added that he believes a better future with “rights and protections for all of us” remains possible.

Faith, Fame and Stewardship

Jennings’s relationship with “Jeopardy!” began long before he appeared on the program. He recalled running home from school to watch the show and finding a place where his interest in knowledge felt welcome.

Winning transformed Jennings from a computer programmer into a wealthy public figure, but he consciously resisted allowing that change to disrupt his life. “I cannot let this blow up my life,” he remembered thinking after his original run.

His religious background also shaped how he understood his sudden wealth. Jennings described his upbringing as a “hardy pioneer Mormon upbringing” that emphasized thrift and made becoming rich and famous feel somewhat uncomfortable.

“We shouldn’t have all that big, fancy Hollywood money,” he joked. More seriously, the change left him asking how to remain a good person and act responsibly with the unusual blessing he had received.

Jennings described faith as an anchor that helped him remain grounded when he suddenly found himself “rich and famous somehow on a game show.” “It informs how I am publicly,” he said, adding, “It informs what I try to do with the money and with the platform.”

Jennings said he had to teach himself about philanthropy after receiving his winnings. Although he comes from a tradition of tithing, he said tithing “should be the beginning and not the end” of someone’s giving.

“None of this is mine,” Jennings said of his resources, which he described as something that “has come from above to see if I’m going to be a good steward of this.” He now prefers to support organizations already doing effective work rather than build a foundation around his own name.

Jennings mentioned humanitarian aid, immigrant assistance, reproductive rights and Scarecrow Video, a Seattle nonprofit whose board he serves on, among causes he supports. He also emphasized that generosity can mean donating $10, buying classroom materials for a teacher or assisting a family struggling with medical bills and rent.

Latter-day Saints Are “Not a Monolith”

Jennings connected his political independence to the diversity he sees among Church members. Although he described the Church of Jesus Christ as a “very conservative-leaning institution,” he said geography and local culture influence the political composition of individual congregations.

He contrasted the likely views found in a small Idaho community with those represented in his Seattle congregation. “If you asked people how they voted, it would not be the same as that mythical small Idaho town,” he said.

Jennings presented his political convictions and religious grounding as connected rather than competing influences. “Having that background really makes me think a lot about what the right thing is to do and say in a situation,” he said, while acknowledging that he does not always get it right.

That relationship between faith and independent judgment shapes what Jennings hopes others see in his example. “Mormons are not a monolith,” he said, expressing hope that his public conduct challenges the perception of Latter-day Saints as “an insular, conservative monolith.”

Jennings’s comments invite Latter-day Saints to distinguish unity in faith from uniformity in politics and to leave room for fellow members whose convictions lead them to different conclusions. They also challenge each of us to examine whether we are prepared to place what we believe is right above our comfort, reputation or livelihood when those priorities conflict.

How has your faith influenced the way you use your opportunities, resources or influence? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Holly Wallace

Holly Wallace is a writer and storyteller drawn to meaningful questions and overlooked details. Her work explores Latter-day Saint life and culture through faithful inquiry, inviting readers to pause, consider, and engage more deeply with what matters most.