‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Speaks Out After Amazing Comeback in Harvey Silikovitz Game

[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for the Wednesday, January 14, episode of Jeopardy!]

The last Jeopardy! Champions Wildcard game was a thriller. One of the contestants spoke out after another one had an amazing comeback. Fan-favorite Harvey Silikovitz returned to secure his spot in the finals, but did he win?

Attorney and karaoke singer Silikovitz, from West Orange, New Jersey, played against airline ramp agent Ian Morrison, from Aurora, Colorado, and software engineer Stells Trout, from Houston, Texas, on January 14. Whoever won this game moved on to the finals with Cameron Berry and Jonathan Hugendubler.

The game was a back-and-forth between Trout and Silikovitz at the beginning of the game. However, Silikovitz had the lead when he found the Daily Double on clue 12. He had $4,000 and made it a true Daily Double.

In “Classical Music,” the clue read, “United Airlines began using this Gershwin piece in its ads in the 1980s.” He responded correctly with “Rhapsody in Blue” and doubled to $8,000. He kept the lead through the first commercial break.

By the end of the round, Silikovitz led with $8,800. Trout had $5,000. Morrison was in third place with $4,200.

In Double Jeopardy, Trout got into some hot water when she found the first DD on clue four. With $6,600 in her bank, she made it a true Daily Double. The clue in “Some Science” read, “God bless this radioactive element discovered in 1944 by a group of U.S. scientists when they bombarded plutonium with neutrons.”

“What is uranium?” the engineer answered the science question.

“Sorry, no,” host Ken Jennings said. “God bless americium for America.” Trout dropped down to $0.

She didn’t let the failed DD stop her. Trout had $7,600 by answering seven clues correctly by the time Silikovitz found the second DD on clue 17. Out of $12,000, he wagered $5,000.

In “2020s Vision,” the clue was “It’s the somewhat self-deprecating title of the bestselling 2023 memoir by Prince Harry.”

“I don’t know. What is I Hate Myself?” Silikovitz answered with a laugh.

“No. That would be an arresting book title, but no. Not the heir, but Spare,” Ken Jennings replied.

“I hate myself for missing that,” Silikovitz laughed. He dropped down to $7,000, giving Trout the lead.

Trout went on to answer six of the last 13 clues correctly, solidifying her lead. She ended the round with $14,000. Silikovitz had $9,800. Morrison moved to second place with $10,600.

The category for Final Jeopardy was “English Place Names.” The clue read, “Once called Grontabricc, it’s named for a structure spanning a tributary of the great Ouse river.” Two of three contestants got the clue right.

Silikovitz answered, “What is Cambridge?” which was correct. He wagered $all of his money, ending him with $19,600. Morrison’s response was “What is Oxford?” He was wrong and dropped down to $1,599 after wagering $9,001. Trout also had the correct response of “What is Cambridge?” She wagered $5,601, making her total $1 over Silikovitz at $19,601.

Trout moved on to the final position in the 2026 Champions Wildcard. The three finalists will compete in a two-part total-point final on Thursday and Friday.

Before that, read on to find out what Morrison said about the game. “I know, I know, I know…I thought of the correct response with maybe 3 seconds left. Not enough time to both cross out Oxford AND write Cambridge. But I felt SO happy for Stella! Instant tears and “OMG, you did it! You came roaring back!” he wrote on Reddit.

“Harvey is one of the most relentlessly positive people I’ve ever met and a fiercely good Jeopardy player. I played several practice games with him, Guy Branum, and Jonathan Hugendubler on Halloween night—just a week before taping, so I knew I was in for quite a ride! It was an honor to play with him and Stella on the Alex Trebek Stage. In my mind, I was yelling the DD responses that they missed, but I’m trying hard not to play ‘coulda shoulda woulda.'”

“All in all, I tried my best, had fun, and got to meet some incredible quizzers! Jeopardy! is one of the few spaces where you and other people can get starstruck by each other,” Morrison went on.

The game show contestant also ended by saying that he doesn’t know if he is done with Jeopardy! or not because of the JIT. “But I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who’s taught and supported me through the years as I’ve finally made my life’s biggest dream come true!” he ended.