“Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings has millions of fans, but his wife has a different favorite host. Jennings, 52, told PEOPLE that his wife, Mindy, is more impressed with another former host. The game show personality has been at the helm since 2020. After splitting duties with Mayim Bialik from 2021 to 2023, Jennings has been the sole host since.
When it comes to picking favorites, however, Jennings’ wife has a far more surprising name. Mindy also has an extremely simple and funny reason for picking someone else over her own husband. Ahead of hosting the latest season of “Jeopardy! Masters, Jennings opened up on this topic.
Ken Jennings’ Wife Prefers Aaron Rodgers Over Him As The Host
Ken Jennings was one of several figures to take on “Jeopardy!” hosting duties after Alex Trebek’s time ended. Others such as Katie Couric, Bill Whitaker, Savannah Guthrie, Sanjay Gupta, Anderson Cooper, George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, Mehmet Oz, Mayim Bialik, LeVar Burton, David Faber, and Joe Buck all stepped in to host. But it was Aaron Rodgers’ stint that connected most with Mindy Jennings.
Rodgers hosted the show for two weeks in April 2021 and was even open to a permanent move in the role. While the athlete’s “Jeopardy!” aspirations may not have become permanent, he has won over some fans. According to Ken Jennings, Mindy has handed Rodgers the honor of her personal favorite host. The reason is simple: she finds him attractive.
“He was a solid guest host,” Jennings said of Rodgers. “He was my wife’s favorite, actually. When I tried to figure out why, I was like, ‘Honey, you know I was a guest host, too.’ And she was like, ‘Well, he’s very handsome.’”
The response was taken by Ken in good humor, as the host admitted Rodgers did have a good tenure. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback had even joked that he would be prepared to shave if it meant getting a permanent gig. Ultimately, Jennings won the race and has been the permanent host on a show he won 74 consecutive times.
Ken And Mindy Jennings Trade Lighthearted Banter Over ‘Jeopardy!’
This isn’t the first time the married couple have opened up about disagreements over the show. In the PEOPLE interview, Ken Jennings revealed his wife is driven “bonkers” because of the parenting perks from the “Jeopardy!” job. According to him, their children are much more inclined to listen to him because he’s the host of “Jeopardy!”
Ken and Mindy Jennings have been married since 2000 and have two children, son Dylan and daughter Caitlin. The game show personality also said his wife reminded him of the alternative career path he was going to choose. Unhappy as a computer programmer, Jennings was on the verge of switching to a career as a mural painter and creating designs on children’s walls.
Jennings said he “got lucky” with his “Jeopardy!” debut, which allowed him to go down a path he preferred. Along with his “Jeopardy!” expertise, Jennings has also won on “The $100,000 Pyramid” and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” After a career as an author, he returned to “Jeopardy!” as a producer before taking on hosting duties.
