'I was just terrified': Ken Jennings recalls replacing Alex Trebek as he returns to 'Jeopardy!' - USA TODAY

Ken Jennings has had "every possible emotion now" when it comes to "Jeopardy!"

The former-champion-turned-guest-host returned to "Jeopardy!" Monday, the first anniversary of Alex Trebek's death, for a three-week run that marks his first appearance as host since February. But he didn't know his episode would air on the commemorative date.

He was the stopgap host after Trebek died at 80 of pancreatic cancer. But the drama would continue for months, as 15 celebrities and former players took turns in what many considered tryouts for the show, only to see executive producer Mike Richards get the job and quickly exit, as both host and producer, following resurfaced derogatory comments he'd made on a 2014 podcast.

Jennings says producers deliberately shielded him from the intel that his first new episode would air as viewers mourned Trebek's death one year ago, on Nov. 8, 2020.

"Apparently, everyone was aware that we were going to air (my first episode) on the anniversary and nobody told me," Jennings says. "They didn't want to put that in my head. So I was not told until after that it was the Nov. 8 show."

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What was it like coming back?