‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Stephen Webb On What It’s Like Having Ken Jennings As Host

Stephen Webb, the eight-time Jeopardy! champion who won over $184,000 during his run, recently took part in a quiz show-themed Ask Me Anything (AMA) session. During the event, he shared some insights into his experience on the show. On March 18, Webb, a data scientist and a native of  Colorado, suffered a loss on the game show. Nevertheless, his impressive streak of winning six figures secured him a place in the next Tournament of Champions.

During the tournament, Webb stated that he is seeking redemption, not for himself but for comedian Patton Oswalt, who recently lost in the Celebrity Jeopardy finale to Ike Barinholtz. “I’ve been a Patton Oswalt fan for twenty years,” he wrote. “I grew up with Star Trek: TNG as one of the first TV series I remember watching so, as they say, revenge is a dish best served cold.”

Stephen Webb gives his opinion about Jeopardy! host, Ken Jennings

Webb also talked about his opinion on the game show’s host, Ken Jennings’s hosting skills.  “Before the taping started, they joked that the host was Kim Kardashian. No, it’s Ken Jennings, so we knew in the morning who was taping that day,” he said. “I really liked Ken as a host. A lot of playing Jeopardy! is about flow. And Ken [acts] like a good referee crew in a football game. The format could lend itself to grinding everything to a crawl while you wait on the referee, but Ken moves at a very steady, even clip. That makes it easier to get the buzzer timing down I would imagine.”

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He further pointed out that the host has been a player on the show himself and he understands the significance of rhythm. “[Jennings] understands what standing up there is like, at one point he told us about the ‘Jeopardy! fugue’ you get into when you’re playing, which is very real,” he added. “He was very nice after the run was over, but we didn’t talk a whole lot.”

Stephen Webb responds to questions from viewers and fans of the show

Web responded to myriads of questions from fans of the popular game show. One of the viewers inquired about the people he would like to have on his personal Jeopardy! All-Stars team. “Amy Schneider is a given at this point, although I think Matt Amodio at his peak was more dominant,” he answered. “I go with Amy Schneider with the first pick.”

The data scientist also replied to a fan who asked for information on how to prepare for the show. Webb emphasized the value of studying an encyclopedia and watching the performance of past contestants. “Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia, 5th edition. Go through old [shows] or whatever, note what you miss then look it up in [the book],” he said. “That’s more or less what I did to get ready for quiz bowl in high school/college. And it helps you be efficient by focusing on the negative space of your knowledge.”

In response to a lighthearted question about his celebrity doppelganger, the champion disclosed that he has received various comparisons since his stint on Jeopardy! but there is one that has stuck with him in particular. “The closest to a celebrity comparison I ever got was a drunk woman at a Falcons game when I was sixteen slurring at me that I looked like Val Kilmer (I did not look like Val Kilmer),” Webb revealed.