Jeopardy! fans are once again coming after Tournament of Champions (ToC) contestant Yogesh Raut on social media, following a remark on Friday’s episode that some consider to be “rude and gross.” It was announced in Dec. 2023 that Raut—a controversial player due to a series of negative comments about the show—would be among the lucky invitees, thanks to his impressive three-day streak in Season 39. While Raut has since softened his stance on Jeopardy! and apologized for offending fans, he’s earning new pushback after the March 11 episode, with many viewers criticizing what they perceive to be poor sportsmanship.
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This year’s ToC includes 27 former Jeopardy! champions vying for the ultimate prize of $250,000. Thanks to the writers’ strike, the tournament was highly delayed, adding to the anticipation.
Now a couple weeks into the competition, ToC is winding to a close, and Raut has been named one of the three remaining finalists. (He will face nine-game champion Ben Chan, and the winner of tonight’s last semifinal episode.) However, Raut’s reaction to competitor Emily Sands’ mistake has left a sour taste in many fans’ mouths.
On Friday’s semifinal episode, Raut was leading the pack with $13,000 when Sands, who had pocketed $7,600, landed on a Daily Double. Sands bet it all, knowing that if she guessed correctly the new total sum would put her above her fellow players.
“In his ‘Great Waves’ print, Hokusai used this imported blue pigment first made in Germany,” read her video clue under the “Shades of Blue” category.
Sands answered “cobalt,” which was incorrect—but what really caught fans’ attention was Raut’s muttered response when host Ken Jennings ruled against Sands. As Jennings revealed the correct shade of blue, the camera caught Raut quietly saying the same answer, “Prussian blue,” proving he knew the right response all along.
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Raut’s remark is regarded by many Jeopardy! viewers as unsportsmanlike conduct, and it’s ruffling feathers on social media.
“Tried to be endearing about his screenplay, but Yogesh saying the answer along with Ken after Emily got the Daily Double wrong was rude and gross,” wrote a Jeopady! fan on X.
“Yogesh is incredibly rude,” cried another.
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Raut’s behavior was also a hot topic of conversation on Reddit.
“You just saw your opponent lose everything in a huge daily double, and your first thought is to tell them that you knew the correct answer?” one person wrote in a thread about the March 8 episode.
To fans’ surprise, Sands was among the first to comment back and defend her competitor.
“I didn’t hear it, wouldn’t care if I had. Yogesh was nothing but friendly throughout the ToC and you’d have seen all three of us in a post-game celebratory hug had they not cut to Ken for his closing remarks,” she responded.
Sands went on to compliment Raut’s gameplay, and assured fans she has “zero regrets” about her ToC run.
“Yogesh knows everything I do plus another 40%+ so I knew I’d have to play well and get lucky to win. I almost kept it interesting to the end but I have zero regrets as to how things played out,” she concluded.