Jeopardy! Masters' winner Yogesh Raut names the two people who consistently pronounced his name correctly

Jeopardy! Masters 2025 champion Yogesh Raut may have taken home the top prize of $500,000, but he’s now speaking out about aspects of the production he found troubling, including how his name was pronounced. In a Facebook post shared on Saturday, June 7, Raut criticized Jeopardy! Masters host Ken Jennings, who repeatedly mispronounced both his first and last names during the final episode.

Raut said the show also edited out his attempt to address the issue on air. While Jennings introduced him as “Yo-GESH Raut,” Raut explained the correct pronunciation is closer to “Yo-gaish R-oat”.

In his post, he also named two production crew members—Jimmy McGuire and Mitch the sound guy—who consistently pronounced his name correctly throughout filming. Raut’s remarks come days after the conclusion of Jeopardy! Masters Season 3, now available for streaming on Hulu.

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Yogesh Raut calls out mispronunciation of his name on Jeopardy! Masters

Raut addressed the mispronunciation issue directly in his Facebook post dated June 7. He said that during his final interviews on Jeopardy! Masters, he attempted to acknowledge Jennings for correct pronunciation, about fellow contestant Neilesh Vinjamuri. He said,

“They also cut out me saying, ‘Ken, when Neilesh [Vinjamuri] was up here he made a point of thanking you for pronouncing his name correctly, and I’d love to do the same — just as soon as you start.’ (Also not a hugely surprising elision.)”

Raut further noted that Jennings mispronounced both his first and last names during the show’s finale. For the last name, Jennings reportedly said “Rout,” rhyming with “shout,” instead of the more accurate “R-oat,” rhyming with “wrote”. In the same post, Raut expressed appreciation for Jeopardy! Masters crew members who did make the effort to get his name right.

“I’d like to additionally thank Jimmy McGuire and Mitch the sound guy for consistently pronouncing my name correctly."

McGuire serves as a stage manager at Sony Pictures Studios, where the show is taped. Raut also said the editing process removed several of his thank-yous, including ones he had offered by name to staff members.

“My final pair of interviews on the show cut out everything I had to say about racism (as expected) and also a good portion of my thank-you’s, including many of the people I thanked by name."

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Yogesh’s journey on the show

Raut, a blogger and podcaster based in Vancouver, Washington, has been a known figure in the competitive trivia community for years. He first appeared on Jeopardy! in 2023, winning three games in a row before being eliminated in his fourth.

Despite his initial loss, he was invited to the 2024 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, which he won. That victory secured him a place in Jeopardy! Masters Season 3.

During the 2025 Jeopardy! Masters, Raut competed against finalists including Victoria Groce and Juveria Zaheer. He ultimately won the season and took home $500,000. The final episode aired in early June 2025.

Throughout the tournament, Raut shared multiple behind-the-scenes reflections on his Facebook page. In a post on June 10, he discussed his semifinal matchups and interactions with fellow contestants. He described bonding with Isaac Hirsch over a shared interest in the 1970s-era TV series Columbo.

“I greatly enjoyed bonding with Isaac backstage over our shared love of ’70s-era Columbo — let’s not talk about the revival — and I was honored that he officially endorsed my ‘J! Masters as Columbo Villains’ post."

Raut also spoke about his camaraderie with Zaheer, noting that despite competing in multiple tournaments together, they had not faced off until the 2025 Jeopardy! Masters semifinals. During one of their matches, the two shared a laugh over an “Around India” category.

“I tried to remain stoic, but when Juveria cracked up, I followed her lead."

A producer later described their dynamic by saying it felt like watching two school kids secretly laughing behind the teacher’s back — a playful and spontaneous moment that he enjoyed. Raut expressed gratitude toward fellow contestants and their families for their support.

“In addition to my (relatively small) audience cheering section, Victoria and Juveria’s cheering sections were also rooting for me (albeit secondarily). Victoria and Juveria’s husbands very graciously congratulated me, and I appreciate Alison Betts’ non-partisan choice of clothing.”

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As the current Masters champion, Raut is set to return and defend his title in next year’s tournament.