‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Speaks Out After Runaway Win
Spoiler Alert
He has something to say! A Jeopardy! contestant spoke out after their runaway win on Friday. Did Corey Aiello win game two, or was there a new champion?
Aiello, from Indianapolis, Indiana, played against James Denison, from Alexandria, Virginia, and Heidi Schmechel, from Rumson, New Jersey, on March 6. Aiello, a development officer, has a one-day total of $17,930. Warning: This post contains spoilers for the March 6 episode of Jeopardy!
Aiello and Denison, a college professor and museum curator, battled for first place during the first half of the round. Denison was in the lead with $2,200 when he found the Daily Double on clue eight.
He wagered all of his money in “Brit Bits.” The clue read, “According to the British monarchy’s website, in 1810 this royal ‘became permanently deranged.'” Denison correctly answered with “Who is George III?” He doubled to $4,400.
He had a big lead by the end of the round with $8,400. Schmechel, a veterinarian, had $4,800. Aiello was in third place with -$200.
In Double Jeopardy, Schmechel found the first DD on clue three. She wagered $3,000 out of $6,400. In “Directors,” the clue was “Oscar-nominated for directing, she made her first onscreen appearance as an infant in The Godfather.” She correctly answered with “Who is Sofia Coppola?” giving her the lead with $9,400.
Aiello got out of the negatives after that. Denison quickly took the lead again halfway through the round. He answered most of the clues from seven to 19. He then found the last DD on clue 20.
Denison had $13,600 and wagered $9,000 in “10-Letter Words.” The clue was “It was named for a French doctor who advocated for as quick & painless a death as possible.”
“What is a guillotine?” the game show contestant answered correctly, giving him $22,600. Schmechel had $9,400.
Dension went on to correctly answer three of the last ten clues for a total of $24,200. Schmechel ended in second place with $12,200. Aiello had $3,400.
The category for Final Jeopardy was “Countries of the World.” The clue read, “Its island province of Annobón lies at 1.4 degrees South latitude; its mainland begins at .92 degrees North latitude.” Two of the three contestants had the correct response.
Aiello answered, “What is Singapore?” That was incorrect, so he dropped down to $2,796, after wagering $604. Schmechel’s response of “What is Equatorial Guinea?” was correct. She wagered $12,200, ending with $24,400. Denison also had the correct response. He wagered $11,999, making his final total $36,199.
Denison won his first game and will return for game two on Monday, March 9. He spoke out about his time on the show to Grand Rapids Magazine.
“I’ve watched Jeopardy! for as long as I can remember,” he told the outlet. “To finally be on the stage, under those lights, is surreal.”
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