‘Jeopardy!’: Ken Jennings Revisits ‘Hoe’ Moment – Fans React

Brittany Sims June 25, 2025, 7:30 pm

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[The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Wednesday, June 25, episode of Jeopardy!]

Jeopardy! started off with a NSFW joke from host Ken Jennings that had fans, the contestants, and the audience cracking up. The joke was in reference to an answer he gave when he played the game two decades ago.

Micah Fritz, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, returned for his second game with a one-day total of $14,200. In game two, he faced off against Kiley Campbell, from Salt Lake City, Utah, and Greg Harris, from Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, June 25.

Ken Jennings began the game by talking about Fritz being the eighth champion within eight games. He wondered if he could break the curse of the one-day champion, which has been going on for most of June.

Fritz, a teacher, might have been distracted because on the first clue, the host made a joke that avid Jeopardy! fans would have gotten the reference to.

The champion started off the game by picking “This is Not a Drill” for $400. The clue read, “A tool with an angled blade to get unwanted plants out at the root is called a Cape Cod type of this.” Fritz buzzed in and said, “What is a hoe?” which was incorrect, dropping him to -$400. The other two contestants did not buzz in. The correct response was, “What is a weeder?”

After letting the silence fill the air, Ken Jennings said, “It seems like ‘What is a hoe?’ is never correct out here.” The contestants and audience laughed.

Jennings first talked about a hoe during his reign in October 2004. In “Tool Time” for $200, the clue was, “This term for a long-handled gardening tool can also mean an immoral pleasure seeker.”

With $14,800 in his bank, Jennings answered, “What’s a hoe?” Then-host Alex Trebek told him “no” and then backtracked when he realized what he said.

“Whoa! They teach you that in school in Utah, huh?” Trebek said. His opponent, Al, correctly answered with “rake.”

“‘Seems like ‘What is a ho?’ is never the correct answer around here.’ LMFAO Ken,” a Reddit user said.

“OMG, Ken! Referenced his hoe clue lol,” said another.

'Jeopardy!' Fans React After Contestant's Stunning Link to Question

“Lmao. Another incorrect hoe guess,” added a third.

“Shout out to the flair – what’s a hoe?” said another.

The first Daily Double wasn’t found until after the first commercial break by Campbell, a teacher. She was in a tie for first place with Fritz with $4,400. She wagered $2,400. In “On the Map,” the clue read, “Geologically a microcontinent, this island separated from Africa about 160 million years ago.” Campbell correctly answered with “What is Madagascar?”, improving to $6,800.

By the end of the round, Campbell kept the lead with $7,800. Fritz had $5,800. Harris, an attorney, was in the red with -$200.

In Double Jeopardy, Harris found the first DD of the round. He had $1,000 and wagered $2,000. In “Welcome to Your Microbiome,” the clue read, “Looking to up your helpful bacteria? Pucker up, buttercup & have some kefir, sauerkraut or kimchi, which undergo this process.” “What is fermentation?” he correctly answered, moving up to $3,000.

Fritz found the last DD closer to the end of the round. He was in first place with $13,400 and wagered $2,000. If he got it wrong, Fritz would jump down to second place. In “Big in Feudal Japan,” the clue read, “Samurai are associated with the katana or sword, but also had to master the yumi, this weapon, even on horseback.” “What is the bow?” he correctly answered, giving him a total of $15,400.

He maintained the lead with $15,800 going into Final Jeopardy. Campbell had $14,200. Harris got out of the red and improved his score to $6,200.

The category for Final Jeopardy was “Literary Illusions.” The clue was, “One of the first chatbots was named for this language-learning character from a 1913 play and 1956 musical.” Only one contestant got it right.

Harris didn’t give an answer and wagered $6,200, leaving him with $0. Campbell correctly answered with, “Who is Eliza Dolittle?” She wagered $10,001, giving her $24,201. Fritz also did not give an answer. He wagered $5,000, ending with $10,800. Campbell became the new champion and will face off in game two on Thursday, June 26.

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