Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings has ignited a firestorm of controversy following a contentious decision on Monday’s episode. Fans took to social media to express their outrage, labeling the ruling as a “poor decision” that unfairly cost contestant Lloyd Sy his lead.
The incident occurred during the Double Jeopardy! round. Lloyd, who had $10,600, was competing against Andy Tirrell, who led with $10,800, and Martha Bath, who had $8,400. The stakes were high as the match was a Champions Wildcard semifinal, determining who would advance to compete for $100,000 and a spot in February’s Tournament of Champions.
Lloyd selected a $1,600 clue under the category “D.D.,” which featured a photo of an 18th-century novelist, journalist, and pamphleteer. Ken Jennings read the clue: “This 18th-century guy was a novelist, journalist & pamphleteer.” Lloyd responded with “Who is: Defoe?” and was initially ruled correct by Ken, who said, “Correct, you’re in the lead,” as Andy shook his head in disbelief.
However, the situation took a dramatic turn when Lloyd later landed on the last Daily Double, pulling away with $17,400. Ken stopped the gameplay to address the earlier ruling. “Before you wager, Lloyd, let me just let you know, in the ‘D.D.’ category, you responded ‘Defoe’ instead of ‘Who is: Daniel Defoe.’ I was too quick to give you credit there; we have to take away a little bit of your lead,” Ken announced.
Lloyd let out a huge sigh as he was penalized twice the clue’s value, resulting in a $3,200 deduction. Despite regaining a narrow lead by Final Jeopardy, Lloyd ultimately lost to Andy, who correctly answered the final clue and finished with $22,801.
Fans were quick to voice their displeasure, pointing out that Lloyd had indeed provided the correct response and that Ken never clarified the specific requirements of the category. One Reddit user commented, “When Ken ruled Lloyd’s response of ‘Defoe’ correct under ‘D.D,’ I thought it must be a case of just one name being acceptable despite the category title. I wish Jeopardy! would clarify when both the first and last name are required.”
Another user added, “This really bothered me. I went back and watched the intro to Double Jeopardy, and Ken never specified that all the correct responses had to be two words that both started with ‘D.’ It was a very poor ruling, in my opinion.”
A third user chimed in, “Yeah. I feel like Lloyd should have only had the clue value deducted from his score because of that, though it obviously had no effect on the outcome.”
The controversy surrounding Ken Jennings’ rulings didn’t end there. On Wednesday’s episode, Ken faced backlash again for a decision that cost returning champion Kelly Proulx $2,000. During the Waterfalls category, Ken read the clue: “A Yosemite fall with a wispy ribbon of water that flutters in the air like a diaphanous cloth bears the name of this marital wear.” Kelly answered, “What is Bridalveil Falls?” but Ken refused to accept her answer because she said “falls” instead of “fall.”
The ruling dropped Kelly’s total score to $3,600, putting her in last place. Fans were outraged, with one viewer posting on Reddit, “There is nothing pinning the clue to ‘fall,’ so she got the required information correct. That was positively disgusting.” Another user agreed, “I typically give long and wide deference to the judges, but f–k the judges for that ruling.”
Despite the backlash, Ken Jennings remains a prominent figure in the Jeopardy! community. The month-long Wildcard clash, divided into two groups, is the last mini-tournament before the Tournament of Champions premieres on February 23. The faceoff includes notable contestants like 21-day winner Cris Pannullo, Canadian TV set designer Ray LaLonde, and fan-favorite Ben Chan.
Regular non-tournament episodes of Jeopardy! are set to return in April, marking a significant break from the norm and dividing fans. Ken Jennings, now the sole host after Mayim Bialik’s departure from the syndicated series in December, continues to be a polarizing figure.
As the Tournament of Champions approaches, fans are eager to see how the competition unfolds and whether Ken Jennings’ rulings will continue to spark debate.
Source: Reddit, Jeopardy!
