'Jeopardy!' host Ken Jennings has apologised for "insensitive" tweets he's posted in the past.
Ken Jennings
The 46-year-old presenter - who is replacing late television icon Alex Trebek on the game show following his death last month - has taken to social media to address previous "failed" jokes he's made on Twitter.
He wrote: "Hey, I just wanted to own up to the fact that over the years on Twitter, I've definitely tweeted some unartful and insensitive things. Sometimes they worked as jokes in my head and I was dismayed to see how they read on screen.
"In the past, I'd usually leave bad tweets up just so they could be dunked on. At least that way they could lead to smart replies and even advocacy. Deleting them felt like whitewashing a mistake.
"But I think that practice may have given the impression I stand by every failed joke I've ever posted here. Not at all!"
Although Ken didn't refer specifically to any particular posts, he acknowledged he had "screwed up" and promised to "be kinder" to others in 2021.
He continued: "Sometimes I said dumb things in a dumb way and I want to apologize to people who were (rightfully!) offended.
"It wasn't my intention to hurt anyone, but that doesn't matter: I screwed up, and I'm truly sorry.
"If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that we should be kinder to one another. I look forward to heading into 2021 with that in mind. (sic)"
Last month, Ken - who is a 'Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time' winner and 74-time champion - paid tribute to Trebek as he was announced as the programme's new host following the star's death after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
He said at the time: "There will only ever be one Alex Trebek, but I'm honoured to be helping 'Jeopardy!' out with this in January."
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