This Jeopardy! Mistake Might Be the Game Show's Biggest Flub Yet

Jeopardy! watchers prematurely found out who won the quiz show's March 8 episode when the contestants' final scores were accidentally shown onscreen just minutes within the broadcast.

By Gabrielle Chung Mar 10, 2023 12:51 AMTags
Watch: Jeopardy! Faces BACKLASH for "Disrespectful" Gabby Petito Clue

We'll take "Spoiler Alert" for $200, please.

Fans of Jeopardy! didn't need to sit through the quiz show's March 8 broadcast to find out who won the game. After all, the results of the match were accidentally shown in an apparent editing error at the very beginning of the episode.

As seen in a video circulating on social media, host Mayim Bialik congratulated students Justin Bolsen, Maya Wright and Jackson Jones for making it to the finals of Jeopardy!'s High School Reunion Tournament. However, as the camera cut to the trio, a shot of the contestants with scores clearly listed out on their respective podiums was shown.

By the end of the episode, the players' final dollar amounts matched what was seen during the blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment.

"An inexcusable production error," one viewer tweeted, while another fan quipped, "That's a pretty significant screwup."

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A third Twitter user wrote, "Wow, given that this was taped months or weeks ago, you'd think they'd actually proof-view it first before putting on air."

E! News reached out to Jeopardy! for comment but hasn't heard back.

Fortunately, the on-air mistake only spoiled the results of the first half of tournament's two-part finale. The next installment will air on March 9, and the contestant with the highest two-day total will claim a $100,000 grand prize and a spot in upcoming 2023 Tournament of Champions.

Tyler Golden/Sony Pictures Television

Vanderbilt University's Jackson ended up with $24,000 after the first episode, while Brown University's Justin and Emory University's Maya trailed behind with $13,570 and $3,370, respectively.

This was not the first time Jeopardy! received online flak. Back in November, many viewers were outraged after the long-running trivia series used the 2021 Gabby Petito murder case as a clue for alligators. The prompt referenced alligators living in Florida's Myakkahatchee Creek, where her suspected killer Brian Laundrie's remains were found.

"Have you no soul?" one viewer tweeted at the time "I can't believe this question got past your lawyers."

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