As a long-time fan of Jeopardy!, whenever someone “steals” an answer, it’s a fun moment, though I recognize how nerves often play a part in the show. That was what one contestant believed, too, until she herself got the opportunity to do it, and then immediately felt bad about it. I totally get it. It happened on an episode last week when first-time player Megan Whelan stole an answer from her fellow first-timer, Daniel Ransom. Megan took to Reddit to explain what happened and how she felt about it.
Stealing An Answer Is Part Of The Game
When a contestant “steals” an answer, it's usually because another player failed to answer the question in the form of a question. It’s the cardinal rule of Jeopardy!, but it’s not all that uncommon for a player to get rushed and forget. That’s what happened on the October 10th episode of the game show. Daniel was the first to buzz in with his answer to the clue: “Though both are lighter than air, the main reason helium is preferred to hydrogen in airships is this.” Daniel answered, “It is inert, not flammable.”
That’s correct, but as any long-time fan of the show will note, it wasn’t in the form of a question. Megan quickly buzzed in and answered, “What is not flammable,” and took home the $800 for being correct. Before playing, Megan had considered a moment like this, but then when it happened, she wasn’t all that excited. As she posted on a Reddit thread about the clue:
I had told my brother that it would be great to steal an answer based on another contestant forgetting phrasing, but when it actually happened, I felt awful for Daniel.
Megan got the points, but ultimately she finished a distant third to Daniel and the champion for his third day in a row (at that point), Greg Monson. Greg’s streak as champion dramatically ended the next day due to a math mess-up. Megan said that she had a blast, but ultimately wished she could have done better, writing on Reddit:
I wish I could have played a better game/kept it from being a runaway for Greg and given myself a shot at SCC, but the DJ categories were just not really in my wheelhouse, and Greg is a fantastic competitor who really seemed to be in his groove after two exciting and challenging episodes. I also wish I had been a little more aggressive.
"SCC," by the way, stands for “Second Chance Tournament,” which is a newer tournament that provides a path to the Tournament of Champions for runners-up. Her score of $3999 probably won’t be enough to get her into the SCC.
I’ve never been on Jeopardy!, but I am a big trivia nerd who watches the show a lot, so I can empathize with Megan when she laments that the Double Jeopardy categories weren’t in her wheelhouse. I know how frustrated I get. I can only imagine how much worse it is when you are standing at the podium with the buzzer in your hand.
Jeopardy!, which can be streamed with a Hulu subscription, is well underway on the 2026 television schedule, airing its 43rd season.
