Latest news with #FinalJeopardy!
USA Today
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Did 'Jeopardy!' champion lose on purpose? Scott Riccardi speaks out
This "Jeopardy!" champion is speaking out about the shocking end of his 16-game winning streak. Who is … Scott Riccardi? On July 25, the engineer from New Jersey lost on the game show after 16 consecutive wins due to a surprising miss on Final Jeopardy! Riccardi subsequently took to Reddit to explain what happened, after some on social media who'd claimed he lost on purpose. The clue that Riccardi answered wrong was in the category of 20th Century Names. "According to one obituary, in 1935 he owned 13 magazines, 8 radio stations, 2 movie companies & $56 million in real estate," it read. The correct response was William Randolph Hearst, but Riccardi incorrectly guessed "Who is Howard Hughes?" Riccardi was in the lead going into Final Jeopardy!, but his opponents both gave the correct response, including Jonathan Hugendubler, who came from behind with the win after wagering $9,601. Some "Jeopardy!" fans expressed surprise that Riccardi didn't respond correctly. As is often the case when a winning streak ends, there were even claims that he threw the game because he was tired of being on the show. "Does anyone think he lost on purpose because he didn't want to come back next season?" one commenter on Instagram read. Did Scott Riccardi's 'Jeopardy' winning streak continue? But on the "Jeopardy!" Reddit, Riccardi chimed in to explain the thought process behind his answer. "My mind unfortunately went straight to Howard Hughes, mostly due to overestimating the importance of the movie companies part of the clue; any previous FJs that had come to mind immediately had worked out, so I trusted my initial response on this," he wrote. Ken Jennings on 'Jeopardy!' Tournament of Champions, 'misogynistic' Mayim Bialik critics Riccardi continued that Hearst "wasn't on my mind at all," adding that "several information near-misses and a poor understanding of the timeline in the clue really piled up to prevent me from getting what I now understand to be a very gettable clue." Some defended Riccardi by arguing the clue was worded in a confusing way and could have been read to mean that the obituary was written in 1935, which would rule out Hearst. Hugendubler appeared as surprised as anyone by his win, with host Ken Jennings remarking, "He can't believe it!" A visibly stunned Hugendubler immediately walked over and shared a hug with Riccardi, who finished his run on the show with a hefty $455,000 in winnings. Riccardi, who will return in the "Jeopardy!" Tournament of Champions now ranks number eight on the game show's all-time leaderboard in terms of highest winnings in regular-season play. With $2,520,700, Jennings, who competed on "Jeopardy!" in 2004 before becoming the show's host, remains number one.
USA Today
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Did 'Jeopardy!' champion lose on purpose? Scott Riccardi speaks out.
This "Jeopardy!" champion is speaking out about the shocking end of his 16-game winning streak. Who is … Scott Riccardi? On July 25, the engineer from New Jersey lost on the game show after 16 consecutive wins due to a surprising miss on Final Jeopardy! Riccardi subsequently took to Reddit to explain what happened, after some on social media who'd claimed he lost on purpose. The clue that Riccardi answered wrong was in the category of 20th Century Names. "According to one obituary, in 1935 he owned 13 magazines, 8 radio stations, 2 movie companies & $56 million in real estate," it read. The correct response was William Randolph Hearst, but Riccardi incorrectly guessed "Who is Howard Hughes?" Riccardi was in the lead going into Final Jeopardy!, but his opponents both gave the correct response, including Jonathan Hugendubler, who came from behind with the win after wagering $9,601. Some "Jeopardy!" fans expressed surprise that Riccardi didn't respond correctly. As is often the case when a winning streak ends, there were even claims that he threw the game because he was tired of being on the show. "Does anyone think he lost on purpose because he didn't want to come back next season?" one commenter on Instagram read. Did Scott Riccardi's 'Jeopardy' winning streak continue? But on the "Jeopardy!" Reddit, Riccardi chimed in to explain the thought process behind his answer. "My mind unfortunately went straight to Howard Hughes, mostly due to overestimating the importance of the movie companies part of the clue; any previous FJs that had come to mind immediately had worked out, so I trusted my initial response on this," he wrote. Ken Jennings on 'Jeopardy!' Tournament of Champions, 'misogynistic' Mayim Bialik critics Riccardi continued that Hearst "wasn't on my mind at all," adding that "several information near-misses and a poor understanding of the timeline in the clue really piled up to prevent me from getting what I now understand to be a very gettable clue." Some defended Riccardi by arguing the clue was worded in a confusing way and could have been read to mean that the obituary was written in 1935, which would rule out Hearst. Hugendubler appeared as surprised as anyone by his win, with host Ken Jennings remarking, "He can't believe it!" A visibly stunned Hugendubler immediately walked over and shared a hug with Riccardi, who finished his run on the show with a hefty $455,000 in winnings. Riccardi, who will return in the "Jeopardy!" Tournament of Champions now ranks number eight on the game show's all-time leaderboard in terms of highest winnings in regular-season play. With $2,520,700, Jennings, who competed on "Jeopardy!" in 2004 before becoming the show's host, remains number one.
The Sun
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Jeopardy! champ Liam Starnes' incredible winning streak continues as fans slam schedule shake-up for missing show
LIVID Jeopardy! fans have been left reeling after their beloved game show was binned in favour of a 'worthless' sporting TV event instead. Quiz show viewers were seething after a frustrating show shakeup on Friday, April 25 which saw it canned from its regular time slot. Fans have been kept on their toes as they follow the journey of the latest breakout star of season 41 - Liam Starnes. While the much-loved brain-boggler usually airs at 7pm, the channel was consumed by the sporting world's annual NFL (National Football League) draft and their player recruitment. However, unfazed Jeopardy! viewers were not interested in anything to do with the significant sporting event. Frustrated fans wrote on social media: "Jeopardy being pre-empted for the NFL draft is unacceptable." A second agreed: "No #jeopardy tonight, worthless NFL draft instead." A third vexed user wrote: "No Jeopardy or Wheel tonight because of the stupid NFL draft, not everyone gives a c**p about that." "Outrageous they have the NFL draft on instead of Jeopardy. People actually watch past the first pick?" questioned another irate fan. "Noooo, no Jeopardy cause of Sportsball! You screwed me for the last time sports! We must abolish the NFL," ranted another. Fans have been enthralled by reigning champion Liam Starnes' winning streak. Undergraduate student Liam from Barrington, Illinois is just 21-years-old and was just a baby when host Ken Jennings, 50, went on his historic 74-game winning steak in 2004. The talented player has wowed the crowds and reached $123,584 (£92,849). Fan-favourite Liam had a five-day victory where he scored $103,002 (£77,385) - and viewers were eager to watch him compete in his sixth game. Liam lovers will have to wait until Monday, April 28 to see him take part in his seventh game. 2 Jeopardy! Set Secrets Jeopardy! fans don't see everything behind the scenes from watching on TV. These hidden set features make the show run smoothly: Each podium has a hidden riser so that all contestants appear to be the same height. After each clue is read, signal lights go off around the game board, indicating players can buzz in and respond. Buzz in too early, and you're locked out for .25 seconds. The podiums have a small white light in the lower left corner, which tells Ken Jennings who goes next. Contrary to popular belief, the player with control doesn't have a buzzer advantage on the next clue. To the game board's left is a scoreboard so the players can see their opponents' scores. All contestants must bring three outfits to the studio, but only the host and returning champion change for the next episode. There are wardrobe rules, including restrictions on busy patterns, solid white, purple (like the background), and logos. Five episodes are taped in a single day, and sometimes more. The categories, players (aside from the returning champion), and Final Jeopardy! for a tape day are all drawn randomly to ensure fairness. Female contestants are asked not to wear makeup, which is applied backstage, and don't wear mascara because of sweat. Contestants fill out a questionnaire, and producers select five Q&A topics for the host. Host Ken isn't allowed to interact with the contestants until after the game. Players can request to sit in a chair while competing without question.
