Ken Jennings admires ‘Celebrity Jeopardy! All-Stars’ contestants: ‘They’re not just pretty faces’

Celebrity Jeopardy! is back with a twist. This season’s tournament, Celebrity Jeopardy! All-Stars, sees past celebrity contestants returning for another shot at the Jeopardy! crown. In addition, the three previous champs — Ike Barinholtz, Lisa Ann Walter and W. Kamau Bell — head right to the second round for a chance to defend their titles.

Host Ken Jennings tells ABC Audio he admires any celeb who comes to compete because “they’re really putting themselves out there.”

“Anything can happen on the Alex Trebek Stage,” he says, noting that while the celebs may be playing for charity, they still want to win and make a good impression.

“You know, they don’t wanna go viral with a wrong response,” he says. “This is not SNL Celebrity Jeopardy! where we’re just throwing them a bunch of softballs. They have to know real facts and do it fast.”

While the celebrities take the competition seriously, there’s certainly a looser feel on set, which Jennings believes is because the stars are more comfortable in front of a camera than regular Jeopardy! contestants are.

“On Celebrity, if anything they’re too comfortable,” he says. “They’re having a good time. They’re joking around.”

Jennings says one perk for the celebrity contestants is they get to prove to the public just how smart they are and that “they’re not just pretty faces.”

“It does seem unfair, by the way, that they have pretty faces,” Jennings jokes. “Like can’t Jeopardy! be our thing? Like, can’t nerds have one thing?”

He adds, “I always get a little upset when someone very talented is also good at Jeopardy! Like, come on.” 

Celebrity Jeopardy! All-Stars debuts Friday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and will stream on Hulu the next day.