‘Jeopardy’ host Ken Jennings ‘flirts’ with James Holzhauer on-air: ‘Hold it in your pants’
I’ll take “flirtatious banter” for $1,000.
“Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings and returning champion James Holzhauer had a slightly flirty change Friday in the course of the “Jeopardy! Masters” match.
The saucy nerd banter between the 2 males occurred after contestant Matt Amodio selected a query below the “Authors” class.
“The Detroit Free Press mentioned ‘The Mummy’ was ‘classic’ this novelist; ‘elegantly erotic & filled with enchanting terror,’” learn the clue.
Amodio buzzed in with the reply “What’s Stoker.”
Jennings, 48, declared that the reply was incorrect and after the 2 gamers didn’t chime in, revealed the reply to be “Anne Rice.”
“I additionally confer with James as ‘elegantly erotic however filled with enchanting terror,’” the 48-year-old host mentioned.
Holzhauer, 38, retorted to the quip, saying: “Hold it in your pants, Ken.”
The slightly flirtatious change prompted Mattea Roach — one other returning champ — to cowl her mouth as she began laughing out loud.
However Holzhauer — who came in second to Jennings within the highest winnings throughout regular-season play — wouldn’t let the comment die.
“We really needed to pause taping so Ken may take a chilly bathe,” tweeted Holzhauer later that day with a clip of the change.
The Put up reached out to Jennings and Holzhauer for remark.
Followers of the sport present have been divided about how they felt concerning the spicy change.
“This was one of the best second of the present to date,” laughed one fan. “Loving the banter!”
“‘Hold it in your pants Ken’ may very well be a T-shirt,” said a second individual.
“‘Hold it in your pants, Ken,’ is among the many prime ten phrases I used to be not anticipating to listen to on #JeopardyMasters tonight, and no, I don’t know what the opposite 9 are,” snarked one other.
A number of different followers replied to Holzhauer’s tweet with a number of GIFs relating to the steamy and erotic nature of the banter.
Different viewers weren’t so entertained and located the entire state of affairs “bizarre” and unprofessional.
“I can’t consider the remark made the ultimate reduce. I laughed nevertheless it was bizarre,” tweeted one uncomfortable viewer.
“Nicely, that change late within the final spherical took #JeopardyMasters near the ‘TV-G’ line,” slammed one other.
“I do know Ken Jennings is in love with James Holzhauer like the remainder of us however he must be much less sexy,” admonished one fan. “You’re on primetime Ken. pull your self collectively.”
The sport present host has not too long ago caught flak from followers after the 48-year-old remained to host the present in the course of the Writers Guild of America strike.
“Final week I had the pleasure of picketing with a bunch of Jeopardy writers at Sony,” tweeted TV author Sarah Watson. “I’m disenchanted that @KenJennings has chosen to cross the picket line and disrespect the hard-working individuals who wrote the questions that made him well-known.”
“‘Jeopardy!’ is a WGA present and considered one of its writers, Michele Loud, accurately told Variety, ‘There is no such thing as a ‘Jeopardy!’ with out writers,’” tweeted one other individual. “‘With out us, it’s simply an empty blue display.’ The ultimate week of clues was written beforehand however to see Ken Jennings scab? What’s a disappointment?”
In a transfer of solidarity for the syndicated television present’s writers, Mayim Bialik — who co-hosts with Jennings — stepped down from her duties within the remaining weeks of taking pictures for the sport’s thirty ninth season.