On Monday night’s episode of the game show “Jeopardy!”, viewers were left in shock after contestant Melissa Klapper won the game despite giving an incorrect answer.
The moment came during the “Quite the Fishy Story” category for $200, when host Ken Jennings presented a clue involving the 2011 movie “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” asking for the name of the actor who was cast as the fisheries expert. Klapper quickly responded, “Ewan Gregor.”
The correct response was actually “Ewan McGregor,” but Jennings accepted Klapper’s answer, telling her, “That is correct, taking you to $5,200, you’re just off the lead.”
After the episode aired, viewers flocked to Twitter to express their outrage and confusion over the incident, questioning why the show had allowed Klapper’s incorrect answer.
“Tonight there was a mistake on @Jeopardy the woman in the middle named Melissa said ‘Ewan Gregor’ when really it’s ‘Ewan Mcgregor’ I played it back twice just to make sure,” one fan wrote. Another person tweeted, “That red headed lady who won answered a question incorrectly. She said Ewan Gregor instead of Ewan MCGREGOR. We ran it back twice. She didn’t say it. She shouldn’t have won.”
Tonight there was a mistake on @Jeopardy the woman in the middle named Melissa said “Ewan Gregor” when really it’s “Ewan Mcgregor” I played it back twice just to make sure pic.twitter.com/srhF2B1Zvk
— ACE DON (@M_Underwood617) March 21, 2023
The show’s executive producer Harry Friedman responded to the outcry in a statement released on Tuesday.
“We reviewed the play in question. We believe that Melissa Klapper was in fact attempting to say ‘Ewan McGregor,'” Friedman said. “We also believe that, even if she did not clearly articulate the correct response, the judges heard it correctly and therefore confirmed her response. We stand by the judges’ decision.”
Despite the controversy, Klapper went on to win the game, besting defending champion Kelly Barry and teacher and football coach Jake Garrett by a single dollar.
“Jeopardy!” fans may still be up in arms, but the outcome is final. Klapper is the winner of Monday night’s episode, and the show is standing by its ruling.
