Share
News

'Jeopardy!' Contestant Sets Record for Lowest Score Ever After Piling Up Wrong Answers

Share

A contestant in Monday’s episode of the popular trivia game show “Jeopardy!” broke the record for the lowest score ever achieved.

Patrick Pearce of Fountain Valley, California, finished the game with a score of -$7,400. That was enough to break the previous record of -$6,800 set by Stephanie Hull in 2015, Entertainment Weekly noted.

Pearce had $200 at the end of the Jeopardy round, according to the outlet. But during the Double Jeopardy round, his score kept tumbling down into the negatives.

Pearce’s negative score disqualified him from Final Jeopardy. Matt Amodio of New Haven, Connecticut, emerged as the winner, defeating Kathleen McHugh of Detroit and bringing his four-day winnings total to $122,400.

You might be wondering what happens if a contestant ends the game with a negative score. Does Pearce have to cough up $7,400?

Trending:
KJP Panics, Hangs Up in Middle of Interview When Reporter Shows He Isn't a Democratic Party Propagandist

Thankfully for Pearce, he does not, according to Bustle.

Coincidentally, Monday’s episode was also LeVar Burton’s first time as a guest host. Burton had long sought to host the show.

An online petition to make Burton the next host of “Jeopardy!” gathered over 260,000 signatures.

“[Hosting Jeopardy] wasn’t even on my bucket list, because I never anticipated that it could possibly be a reality for me,” Burton told Entertainment Weekly in May. “And no matter what happens, I’m really proud of myself for daring to dream that dream, ultimately.”

With the show searching for a new host after the death of Alex Trebek, Burton hopes to be chosen as his permanent replacement.

“More than anything, I am eager to put my skills up against those of anyone else in contention and then let the chips fall where they may,” Burton said ahead of his episode.

“The important thing for me is I have an opportunity to compete for the job, and that’s all I ever really wanted,” he said.

Related:
Whoopi Goldberg Interrupts Panel on Trump's Appeals Court Win to Confront Audience Member

His debut was overshadowed by Pearce’s record loss, turning the episode into a hot topic of conversation on social media.


Burton will continue hosting “Jeopardy!” until Friday, according to the show’s website. CNBC analyst David Faber will then take over as host for the upcoming week, followed by sportscaster Joe Buck.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, ,
Share
News reporter and international affairs analyst published and syndicated in over 100 national and international outlets, including The National Interest, The Daily Caller, and The Western Journal. Covers international affairs, security, and U.S. politics. Master of Arts in Security Policy Studies candidate at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs
News reporter and international affairs analyst published and syndicated in over 100 national and international outlets, including The National Interest, The Daily Caller, and The Western Journal. Covers international affairs, security, and U.S. politics. Master of Arts in Security Policy Studies candidate at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. Follow Andrew on Twitter: @RealAndrewJose
Education
Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service
Location
Washington, District of Columbia
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish, Tamil, Hindi, French, Russian
Topics of Expertise
International Politics, National Security, U.S. Politics




Conversation