'Jeopardy!,' 'Wheel of Fortune' offer sneaky answers, celebrity appearances and tricky clues for 2024
Game shows have seen some big changes this year, especially with the departure of Pat Sajak as host of “Wheel of Fortune” after 40 years.
Ryan Seacrest has taken over for good, joining Ken Jennings as the new hosts of one of television's longest-running shows, where the contestants have given viewers some wild moments this year, from the bad to the confusing.
Check out the wildest game show moments of 2024 below, including a “Wheel of Fortune” player's explanation for his unexpected response.
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Answer from Risque
Tavaris Williams gave a quick response to “Wheel of Fortune,” yelling “Right in the butt.” (ABC)
“Wheel of Fortune” contestant Tavaris Williams became an instant viral sensation thanks to his May 23 appearance and his NSFW response.
During the high jump puzzle, the puzzle board had the letters of the phrase “_ _ _ _ /I _ /T _ E /B _ _ T!”
Williams quickly stepped in and confidently said, “Right in the butt.”
His answer was met with a moment of silence, then laughter from the audience, followed by “What?” from fellow contestant Tyra, and a straight “no” from Sajak as a look of surprise crossed Williams' face.
The correct answer was “THIS / IS / GOOD !”
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“I tried to beat the contestants by going in first and letting my mind take over,” Williams told Fox News Digital during her now-infamous TV spot.
“And when my mind was ready to speak, I saw R, I saw B, I saw T. I wanted 'Right in the butt'… [host Pat Sajak] he said 'no,' oh, it was a very bad feeling,” he continued to laugh.
After filming, Williams had to keep it a secret from her family, who had gathered to watch it live.
“My wife is like, 'I'm married now,'” he said with a laugh, noting that his family is very supportive.
Williams walked away with $9,500, but almost as soon as it aired, fans took to social media to have a good laugh at the risque response.
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Low points for making history
“Danger!” contestant Erin Buker received the second lowest score in the show's history. (ABC/Jeopardy)
A “Danger!” the contestant earned an unfortunate spot in the show's history when he scored the second-lowest score the show has ever recorded.
Erin Buker, who walked away with a final score of $7,200, told Fox News Digital that while she had a “great” time filming the episode, she would describe it as an “out-of-body experience.”
“You look, you see the clues, but you don't remember which section it is,” he explained. “You remind yourself that, you don't know, you're making a weird face because you're watching live TV.. The way they're filming it is like it's a live show. They're really trying to make it stronger.”
And even though he didn't do as well as he'd hoped, Booker said he'd “like to do it again.”
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Famous Faces
“Danger!” they had not one but two contestants who made viewers do a double take this year.
The first was David Erb, who looked a lot like the actor Clint Eastwood.
“David looks like a lot of different people. Clint Eastwood is one of them,” “Jeopardy!” fan wrote on Reddit.
Another shared from X, previously on Twitter, “Is it just me or does David on #Jeopardy remind anyone else of a young Clint Eastwood??”
“Danger!” contestant David Erb looked like Clint Eastwood, according to fans. (Accident/ABC)
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Another contestant who caught the attention of viewers was Father Steve Jakubowski, a Catholic priest from Michigan who quickly gained a large following on the Internet.
“There's a hot teacher on Jeopardy rn send help,” one person wrote on X.
Father Steve Jakubowski told Fox News Digital that Ken Jennings and the rest of the “Jeopardy!” the staff were “very kind” to him. (ABC/Jeopardy!)
In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, Jakubowski said that being on “Jeopardy!” “it was a good experience.”
“Ken and all the producers and crew were kind to me about having a Catholic priest on the show,” he explained. “I hope it gave a good impression to our community and the Church. The show airs at 3:30 where I live in Austin, so we had a viewing party at our parish school with our students and their parents – it's great to share it with our parish.”
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On the Second Day of Work
Ryan Seacrest replaces longtime host Pat Sajak following his retirement last year. (Ryan Seacrest Instagram)
Seacrest took over from Sajak as host of “Wheel of Fortune” this year, and people were quick to lay the blame at his feet for the contestant's big loss.
On the second night of hosting her event, contestant Airica netted a total of $1 million during her time. The wedge could be exchanged for a $100,000 wedge in the bonus round, meaning if he won the game, he could win the big prize.
Airica solved the first puzzle, and landed on the $1,000 mystery wedge and was given the choice to reveal it or leave it.
“It could have lost money or it could be $10,000,” explained Seacrest, and after deciding to risk it, Airica revealed a bank with no money left and Seacrest had to return a million dollars.
“Wheel of Fortune” fans are upset with Seacrest about the player who missed out on the million dollar prize. (Getty Images/Wheel of Fortune/ABC)
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Fans online felt that Seacrest had misrepresented the rules, comparing him negatively to Sajak.
“Pat would explain that if he took the risk, he would lose millions of dollars,” wrote a fan on X.
Others defended Seacrest, noting that contestants receive a list of rules and gameplay in advance, or may be informed of the rules at some time-limited segment.
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The Sexist Clue
During an episode of “Jeopardy!”, the “Fill in the Sound Phrase” section quickly turned the game into an awkward situation. (Getty Images/Jeopardy!/ABC)
Jennings was heavily criticized for a “sexist” reference during an October episode of the show.
During the episode, the “Fill in the Rhyming Phrase” section contained a clue that read, “It's not uncommon for men to succeed in…”
Returning champion Will Wallace correctly responded, “Girls wear glasses.”
Jennings realized that the information may have made the woman Heather Ryan uncomfortable as she wore glasses on the show.
The questionable “Danger!” The phrase came from the famous female poet Dorothy Parker. (Dangerous!/ABC/YouTube)
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“A little bit of a problem, sorry, Heather,” Jennings said, and Wallace added “very” in defense of his opponent.
The questionable phrase came from the famous poet Dorothy Parker.
Fans of the game show were quick to react to the tense situation on social media.
A viewer wrote to X, “Still upset about this. She used her intelligence to get in here, and got insulted by a sexist and rude comment.”
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Celebrity confusion
Some “Danger!” clues leave the contestants completely baffled, as were several pop culture references this year.
In February, during the Final Jeopardy round of “Jeopardy!'s Champions Wildcard,” the contestants were dropped a book on the theme of a Johnny Cash song.
The clue to this question was, “'It was encouraging me to play it straight,'” said Johnny Cash of this 1956 hit, the correct answer being “I Walk the Line.”
Unfortunately for all the contestants, one book cost them all the points and time in the Champions Wildcard. All three contestants answered “Walk the Line,” leaving out the letter “I.”
Contestants were dropped by the letter “I” for their final answer on “Jeopardy!” the question. (Getty Images)
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A month later, on an episode of “Jeopardy: Tournament of Champions,” contestants Ben Chan, Yogesh Raut and Troy Meyer missed a $400 clue with a Taylor Swift song in the “Teen Songs” category.
A command read by Jennings said, “Encouraged by a friend, Tay Tay sang when 'somebody tells you they love you' in the age of 'you'll believe them.'
The correct answer was “Fifteen,” the title of Swift's country pop single from her second studio album, 2008's “Fearless.” The singer previously said “fifteen” was inspired by her high school best friend Abigail Anderson, who had a painful breakup with her boyfriend when she and Swift were both 15 years old.
“We're going to get killed for that,” Meyer said with a laugh.
A clue about Taylor Swift's hit “Jeopardy!” contestants. (Getty Images)
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“It hurts” Error
A “Wheel of Fortune” contestant lost a grand prize because of one wrong letter. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for CBS Media Ventures/Sony Pictures Television)
“Wheel of Fortune” fans were devastated by a player's costly mistake during an episode in May.
Contestant Kimberly Wright landed on the Express wedge when the board read “DU _ _ – _ _ LLED PLATTYPUS.”
“I'm going to call the F,” Wright said to the studio audience.
Wright apparently believed the correct answer was “a platypus with a duck bill” when it was actually “a platypus with a duck bill.”
Contestant Marie Kioski of Owosso, Michigan, solved the puzzle, winning a trip to Margaritaville Vacation Club Rio Mar in Puerto Rico, valued at $7,250.
“Wow, that hurt. F?? He thought the platypus was full? What exactly?” a viewer wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
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