Jeopardy: When Ken Jennings Apologized To Contestant Because Of A Problematic Clue

Did you know that Ken Jennings had to apologize to a contestant due to a problematic clue on Jeopardy? Well, read on for more.

The popular quiz game show Jeopardy is known for its unique format and fun yet informative clues. Hosted by Ken Jennings, the competition is a fan-favorite game reality series. Instead of the usual answer-the-question format, Jeopardy provides players with answers who are expected to guess what the clue is describing. Once they think about it, they must phrase their response as a question.

Ken Jennings apologizes to the Jeopardy contestant

Last month, on October 28th, 2024, during an episode, things got a little awkward when a sexist clue made it to the game. Jennings apologized for the clue and called it out on-air. Heather Ryan, a health director from Binghamton, New York, was one of the contestants when the clue appeared. The incident happened during the category “Complete the rhyming phrase.” The clue prompted, “Men seldom make passes at…” and the response was “girls who wear glasses.” Ironically, Heather was wearing glasses.

Jennings was quick to say sorry to the contestant. He called the clue “a little problematic” and followed it up with an apology to her. Will Wallace, another contestant and the eventual winner of the episode, also chimed in and agreed, “Very.” Heather came second, only falling short of the win by an agonizing $1. Meanwhile, she spoke to Pipe Dream and said she enjoyed being on the show. Heather called the experience “very fun” and revealed that everyone on the set was welcoming.

Jeopardy contestant reacts to problematic clue

When asked about the awkward moment, she felt it was an “odd choice” and added that everyone, including Jennings, got slightly uncomfortable. Heather said it was unexpected and suggested that the team choose better rhyming phrases. She further expressed how young girls still go to middle school and don’t want to wear glasses because they feel ashamed and embarrassed. The health program director asserted that girls are losing out on their education because of insecurities.

“I think it’s much better to be able to see than anything else,” she told the newspaper. Regardless, she felt grateful that she could be a part of this iconic show in its 40 years and running history. Meanwhile, fans were not happy about it. They use social media to slam the makers for allowing an outdated, awful, and inappropriate clue in the game. Some didn’t understand why the clue wasn’t cut from the aired episode.

Apart from being one of the longest-running game shows, Jeopardy has enjoyed massive viewership and several awards. The general knowledge show is currently airing its 41st season and has been adapted into several international editions. From 1964 to 1979, Art Fleming hosted the show. Alex Trebek took over from 1984 until he died in 2021. Mayim Bialik, popularly known for her work in the sitcom The Big Bang, was Jenning’s co-host from 2021 to 2023.

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