‘Jeopardy!’ Wildcard: Tournament of Champions Player Emerges as Winner Is Crowned

Meaghan Darwish February 22, 2024, 7:35 pm

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'Jeopardy!'s Wildcard Champions Deb Bilodeau, Jesse Matheny, and Mira Hayward — Jeopardy!, Inc.

Jeopardy!‘s Champions Wildcard has crowned another winner as the final Tournament of Champions player emerged from the competing pool of finalists.

Going head-to-head in their second game, San Francisco restaurant server Deb Bilodeau, Indiana-based customer success specialist Jesse Matheny, and Portland, Oregon’s podcast host Mira Hayward put their best competitive foot forward with one reigning supreme. Entering Day 2 with $2,800 each, Jesse and Mira were far behind Deb’s $21,600 lead, which ultimately was to their detriment.

Deb Bilodeau for 'Jeopardy!'s Champions Wildcard

(Credit: Jeopardy!, Inc.)

Deb won the Champions Wildcard despite not finding the correct response for Final Jeopardy alongside Jesse and Mira who also couldn’t find the answer. The category “On Vacation in Italy,” presented the clue reading, “About 30 miles from Florence, a little hill gives this tiny Tuscan town its name, familiar to American visitors.” The correct response was “What is Monticello?”

Entering the round with $10,300, Deb was trailing behind Jesse’s $20,400. Meanwhile, Mira had collected $5,600. Still, large wagers worked against Jesse and Mira whose combined two-day totals weren’t enough to squash Deb’s which remained $21,600 from the previous day.

Are 'Jeopardy!' Clues Getting Too 'Convoluted'? Fans Debate

Deb follows in the footsteps of previous Wildcard winners Emily Sands, Nick Cascone, Josh Saak, Yungsheng Wang, and Juveria Zaheer who are also set to compete in the Tournament of Champions. As for who Deb will compete against in their first matchup for the Tournament of Champions, they’re currently set to play against Troy Meyer and Sean McShane in the March 6 episode. Learn more about the Tournament of Champions matchups here.

This year’s lineup of competitors now features contestants from across Seasons 37, 38, and 39 alongside Celebrity Jeopardy! winner Ike Barinholtz and 2023 High School Reunion Tournament winner Justin Bolsen. Who will come out on top? You’ll have to tune in to find out.

Until then, let us know what you think of the current lineup of competitors ahead of the long-awaited Tournament of Champions, and don’t forget to tune in when it all begins on February 23.

Jeopardy!, Tournament of Champions, Begins Friday, February 23, Check your local listings