‘The 1% Club’: Did a ‘Jeopardy’ Champion Take Home $100,000?

What is a Jeopardy! champion being the only contestant to make it to the end on The 1% Club? Jay Rhee, an oncologist from Annapolis, Maryland, didn’t think he was going to make it to the final question, but his uncertainty led him to nearly $100,000 on Tuesday’s (August 5) new episode.

Rhee first appeared on Jeopardy! on June 20, 2011, and became a five-day champion with a total of $107,203. He then moved on to the 2011 Tournament of Champions, where he was a wildcard semifinalist. Rhee competed in the second game and lost against Buddy Wright. He also competed on The Chase in 2013 and won $35,000.

Now, the champion tried to win even more money by coming on The 1% Club. But he wasn’t the only TV star who appeared on the show. Tre Watson, from Love Island USA, and Andrew Gordon, from Big Brother 12, both appeared on the episode. Big Brother 20 runner-up Tyler Crispen appeared earlier in the season, but did not make it to the end. Gordon made it to the top four. Watson lost on the 60 percent question.

On the 45% question, host Joel McHale talked to Rhee after he got it right. Rhee said he guessed after using his pass. “Do you think you’re going all the way tonight?” McHale asked.

“For real, no?” the Jeopardy! champion responded.

“Good answer, Jay!” McHale said.

But Rhee kept moving on from question to question. At the 10% question, he still didn’t think he was going to make it all the way.

“Hey, Jay, you think you’re going to make it to the 1% question?” McHale asked after he got the last question right.

“I hope so,” Rhee said.

By the end of the game, he was the only one left and moved on to the 1% question by himself. Since he was by himself, he won $10,000, but he could give that up to answer the 1% question. He went for the $98,000 in the prize pot.

The question was “You’ll come out on top if you know, what is the last word in this sequence?” The sequence was “TEAS, SHOUT, STEW, _____?”

When the timer ran out, Rhee clutched the side of his head and grimaced. “I put in letters that aren’t in the right order,” he explained. “ORTHN. So, I know the sequence, but I couldn’t figure out a word that I could use with those letters that wasn’t North. These are all directions— East, South, West. And then as North, but you have to turn it into another word.”

The correct answer was “Thorn,” which he did not have.

“You were so close, Jay. I’m sorry you didn’t win your way into the 1% Club,” McHale said to the contestant, who’d walk away with nil despite making it all the way.

Could you figure out the final question? Let us know in the comments.

The 1% Club, Tuesdays, 8/7c, Fox, next day on Hulu