Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings sent shockwaves through his Instagram followers after posting photographs of giant insects at his home, prompting fans to urge him to flee his residence and seek new accommodations.
The first unsettling image appeared on Saturday, August 23, featuring a massive house spider lurking near Jennings’ sliding door. Jennings noted that Washington state’s blackberry season is consistently followed by giant house spider season. The photograph initially appeared innocuous, showing decorative wallpaper with fruit and plant patterns, but closer examination revealed the enormous arachnid, measuring several inches in length, positioned in the corner of the door frame.
A second photograph provided an even more detailed view of the spider, which intensified the shock among his social media audience. Followers expressed their horror at the discovery, with one fan declaring they would immediately list their house for sale if confronted with such a situation. Another follower described experiencing a jump scare while admiring the wallpaper pattern before noticing the spider’s presence.
The reactions continued to pour in as fans described the spider as giant and horrifying. Multiple followers criticized Jennings for posting the close-up photograph without providing adequate warning, with one suggesting the image required a trigger warning for viewers with arachnophobia.
The insect encounters did not conclude with the spider sighting. On Sunday, August 24, Jennings shared another disturbing image featuring a praying mantis that had landed on his beach towel. The game show host joked about the insect potentially engaging in the notorious behavior of female praying mantises, which decapitate their male partners during mating season. The large insect perched on Jennings’ patriotic red, white, and blue striped towel as he enjoyed a seaside view with boats visible in the background.
This second insect photograph generated additional negative reactions from his Instagram followers. One fan expressed frustration that this content differed significantly from their expectations when following the television personality, describing the images as nightmare fuel. Others simply responded with disgust, while some characterized Jennings’ posting behavior as wild and unexpected.
Beyond his insect photography, Jennings has been maintaining an active presence on social media during Jeopardy!’s summer hiatus. On August 21, he announced updates to his Junior Genius Guides series of children’s books. Simon & Schuster will reissue seven titles as traditional paperbacks with updated covers this fall, including Maps and Geography, Greek Mythology, U.S. Presidents, Outer Space, The Human Body, Ancient Egypt, and Dinosaurs.
Jennings acknowledged that the original books required updates since their initial publication over a decade ago, noting that the original Junior Genius readers have now reached college age. The book series contains factual information about various knowledge fields, enhanced by illustrations and structured like engaging school days with periods, games, craft projects, and recipes.
Fans responded positively to the book announcement, sharing stories about how the educational materials influenced their children’s academic pursuits. One follower mentioned that their child became a nuclear engineer on a submarine partly due to inspiration from the books, while others indicated their grown children still possess copies from the original series.
The Junior Genius Guides represent part of Jennings’ broader literary portfolio, which began in 2006 with Brianiac, detailing his fascination with trivia. His subsequent works include Ken Jennings’s Trivia Almanac, Maphead, Because I Said So!, Planet Funny, 100 Places to See After You Die, and his most recent publication, The Complete Kennections.
Jennings frequently utilizes social media platforms to share his perspectives on various topics beyond his television hosting duties. His recent insect photography, however, represents a departure from his typical content, generating significantly more negative reactions than his usual posts. The Jeopardy! host has not responded publicly to the overwhelmingly negative fan reactions regarding his giant insect photographs.
The game show will return for its 42nd season beginning September 8, with Jennings continuing in his role as host. Fans can expect to see him return to his regular hosting duties when production resumes following the summer break.