The new host ‘struggled with the fast, tongue-twister questions,’ an eyewitness says

COLIN Jost was “nervous” and asked to repeat several questions while taping Pop Culture Jeopardy! over the summer, The U.S. Sun can exclusively report.

The veteran SNL star, 42, who is hosting the brand-new spin-off of the popular game show, filmed his episodes in front of a live audience in Los Angeles in August.

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Colin Jost appeared ‘nervous’ as he taped Pop Culture Jeopardy! over the summerCredit: Amazon Prime

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Fortunately, fans seemed to agree that Colin did a great job as host once the episode airedCredit: Amazon Prime

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Colin Jost, here with costar Bowen Yang as George Santos, gets the laughs during Saturday Night Live’s Weekend UpdateCredit: Getty

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Ken Jennings has taken over from the late Alex Trebek as the main host of regular Jeopardy!Credit: Jeopardy!
The main show and specials are hosted by Ken Jennings, 50, who now has a friendly competition with Colin joining the Jeopardy!-verse.

But an eyewitness at one of his tapings said Colin came across as “nervous” at points, and not as polished as other seasoned game show pros.

However, the eyewitness said he brought the laughs and was far from stale with contestants.

“Colin brought a cheeky energy to the spin-off and the live audience loved him,” the insider said.

“But he’s not completely comfortable with recording yet.

“He sometimes struggled with the fast, tongue-twister questions and was forced to read several of them again for the final edit.

“He sometimes stumbled over a word or missed a word.

“Colin is used to mostly filming live, so this was a departure for him, even though he’s had other acting and hosting gigs.

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“You can tell he just isn’t used to it, and during one moment he got serious and put his back to the audience as he repeated a question to himself to try and get it right.

“Hopefully he will get more comfortable as time goes on.”

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The eyewitness said Colin really connected with the contestants.

“Colin worked well with the teams who were upbeat and full of energy, it made the show a lot more competitive,” the insider said.

“It also made it feel younger and buzzier, which is probably what the studio execs were after.”

HIT WITH VIEWERS

Despite his struggles behind the scenes, viewers were impressed by Colin’s hosting skills on the show’s December 4 premiere.

He kicked off the premiere with a joke that had the live audience cracking up.

“Finally, a version of Jeopardy! for people who get upset when regular Jeopardy! players miss clues about rappers and reality TV,” he said before officially starting the game.

“Colin Jost is a really good host,” one fan wrote on a Jeopardy! Reddit fan page. “I’m enjoying him immensely to be honest.

“I think Ken is really good too, but Colin is more telegenic and has a great sense of humor.

“Obviously, he has more star power than Ken too.”

“Colin’s quick wit and off-the-cuff remarks fit right in without getting in the way of the gameplay,” another said.

“I feel like Colin was very polished for a newbie, and definitely funnier than Ken,” said a third.

KEN-DO ATTITUDE

Ken, the G.O.A.T contestant who won a record 74 straight games, became a guest host in 2021 after the death of his predecessor, Alex Trebek.

He then became a co-host and the show’s sole host in December 2023 after sharing duties with Mayim Bialik.

Ken has faced some backlash from fans of the main show for particular rulings and off-color jokes, including one about senior citizens.

Sources said TV bosses care more about how popular the hosts are with viewers, which means Colin could still be competition for him.

“Knowing the leadership at Sony Pictures TV, the last reason they would fire Ken Jennings is because of on-air mistakes,” a source previously told The U.S. Sun.

“Instead, the only real reason to replace Ken is if the ratings took a nosedive, and that hasn’t happened yet,” they added. “The show is holding steady.”

While Ken won’t be going anywhere on the nightly show anytime soon, sources also told The U.S. Sun that Colin has a leg up since he’s closer with TV execs.

“For one thing, the top Sony Pictures TV execs right now are actually veterans of working at NBC and go back to the 2000s with Colin and his team.

“In some ways he is much more of a known commodity to these executives than Ken- they really know what Colin is capable of when you let him do his thing.”

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Colin impressed fans on the very first episode of the show on Amazon PrimeCredit: Amazon Prime

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Colin cracked up the contestants on the premiereCredit: Amazon Prime