Following a contentious decision on the popular quiz program “Jeopardy!,” viewers have called for modifications to the “Final Jeopardy!” format. The controversy stemmed from a ruling that approved an answer from contestant Rishabh Wuppalapati, which many viewers deemed as illegible.
On the October 16, 2024 airing of the show, Wuppalapati, a University of Pennsylvania undergraduate student hailing from Vernon Hills, Illinois, provided a “Final Jeopardy!” response that many viewers interpreted as “Cdumlacf.”
The question required contestants to name the common moniker of two cities in different states that host Southeastern Conference schools. The accurate response was “Columbia.”
“He wrote down Fayetteville & changed it to Columbia, and I can read every letter. That is correct,” announced host Ken Jennings on the show.
Due to this ruling, Wuppalapati secured his second consecutive win, adding $9,801 to his total winnings of $42,402. His main rival, Rachel Cassidy, lost the chance to take the lead as she didn’t bet more during the second Daily Double.
Adding fuel to the fire, Wuppalapati made a statement before the judges delivered their ruling, asserting, “I can read every letter,” which some spectators saw as an attempt to sway the decision.
Viewers expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision to accept Wuppalapati’s scrawled answer. One viewer doubted that the writing spelled “Columbia,” but ultimately accepted the decision as Ken Jennings did. Another viewer concurred, noting that while the handwriting was sloppy and could be read as “Cdumlaq,” it included the basic elements of “Columbia.”
Others pointed out that the final say wasn’t solely in Jennings’ hands, as judges assess contestant responses in real-time. This incident has sparked renewed calls for replacing handwritten responses in “Final Jeopardy!” with keyboard input to avoid similar controversies in the future.
Despite the ongoing controversy, contestant Rachel Cassidy stated that there was no internal debate about accepting Wuppalapati’s answer. However, this statement has not alleviated viewer concerns about the consistent judgment of handwritten responses.
