Alex Trebek is finally opening up about the outrage over the treatment of Newtown, Connecticut eighth grader Thomas Hurley during "Jeopardy!" Kids Week, and the host of 28 years is not pleased.
“It wasn’t my decision; it was the judges’,” Trebek told the L.A. Times of Hurley's garbled spelling of "Emancipation" that was deemed invalid. “I don’t mind being accountable if it’s something I have done, but it kind of bothers me to take a lot of flak for something I haven’t done. I must be getting thin-skinned in my old age."
When Hurley's answer was not accepted Trebek was immediately targeted on Facebook, with one viewer writing, "Come on 'Jeopardy,' this is a quiz show NOT! a SPELLING BEE."
After the incident, the producers of "Jeopardy!" emailed The Huffington Post the following statement:
If Jeopardy! were to give credit for an incorrect response (however minor), the show would effectively penalize the other players. We love presenting young people as contestants on our show, and make every effort to be fair and consistent in their treatment.
Still, Trebek insists he tries his best. “I want to be liked and I try my darndest with the kids, because they are so sensitive,” he told the Times.
