One of the longest-running game shows, Jeopardy! has attracted players from across the globe. Its unique format, where players are given information from which the answer is supposed to be formed as a question, makes the show even more interesting.
However, it doesn't always go as smoothly as fans or players expect. There have been instances where fans are divided over a specific question/ clue or even a particular ruling that might seem to be allegedly in the "favor" of a particular player.
In one such instance, Jeopardy! fans had one of the debates where viewers could be seen debating over a particular question and a player who answered it. On Jeopardy! 's October 11, 2024 episode, there were three players:
- Mark Fitzpatrick: from Riverside, Connecticut
- Eamonn Campbell: from Manchester, Vermont
- Dot White: from Bethesda, Maryland
While the correct answer had "Anesthesiologist" in the clue, one of the players, Eamonn Campbell, mispronounced it as "Anateesiologist." Later, when the show host gave him another chance, he again mispronounced and read it as "Anathesiologist."
On Jeopardy by @jaysjep2 discussion board on Reddit, many Jeopardy! fans shared their sides of the story and commented.
ReganLynch shared,
"I thought the ruling against Eamonn on anesthesiologist was tough but fair. But then Dot said it the same way and it was allowed. To my ears, both pronounced the th sound T, not TH."
Another fan, iamsynecdoche, replied to that and said
"I think Eamonn missed the first "s" sound."
One more fan, ShakeItOff96, agreed to that and shared,
"I agree, I definitely didn't hear the S in his answer either."
In the same thread, ReganLynch commented,
"Hmmm. Maybe that was it. I don't remember that but maybe. I thought I heard him say anesTEEsiologist twice but then Dot sounded the same. Edit: Sounds like he did in fact omit the first s, as a lot of people are saying that now."
Charrikayu commented,
"Eamonn clearly said Anethesiologist with no first S sound."
Later in the thread, the same user shared another comment about how Eamonn was given another chance,
"They make accommodations for contestants with different speech patterns. Santhosh Sastry's episode was on a couple weeks before your episode, and he had a heavy accent; Ken and the judges are lenient. That's why they gave Eamonn a chance to clarify his answer."
When another player, Dot White, buzzed, she then shared it correctly, in the question format and shared,
"What is an anesthesiologist?"
Her answer was then considered correct. Seeing this, some of the fans discussed the incident and shared their views on Reddit discussion boards.
Some of the fans also shared their views on social media platform X.
A Jeopardy! fan commented,
"Are you frikin kidding me?!!! Eamonn Campbell doesn't have a lisp. He doesn't have a cleft lip or palate. He just can't seem to pronounce "anesthesiologist." Or maybe he just doesn't know the word. But he did win his first #Jeopardy game!"
Another fan shared about Eamonn Campbell's second win and shared,
"New @Jeopardy ! champion Eamonn Campbell bagged his second win with a now 2 DAY cash winnings total of $43,200. So long. #Jeopardy."
After Campbell lost, a fan of his reacted and shared,
"Eamonn Campbell was a cutie. Sad that he lost. #Jeopardy."
Jeopardy! player Eamonn Campbell and his pronunciation
Game show host Ken Jennings shared the question from the Just Doin' My Job category. It was,
"Knows the proper use of propofol; can count to 16 (letters in the job); can tell people to count backward from 100."
For that, one of the players, Eamonn Campbell, pronounced the answer "Anateesiologist," while the correct answer would be "Anesthesiologist." After allowing him one more chance, he said, "Anathesiologist."
After his competing player said, "What is an anesthesiologist?" She was declared correct. The mispronounced answer sparked a debate among the show's fans. They discussed the ruling over Reddit and X and how an "s" might be missing from Campbell's answer.
Fans can stream new episodes of Jeopardy! on their regional network channels on weekdays.