[Warning: The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Wednesday, October 15, episode of Jeopardy!]
One of the youngest contestants ever on Jeopardy! competed on the game show on October 15. But did she walk away a winner?
Chris McGinn, from Indian Land, South Carolina, returned for her second game after winning $22,000 in her first game. An editor by profession, McGinn received cochlear implants a few years ago after losing her hearing. For her return, she faced off against Delaney O’Dea from Santa Monica, California, and Tafari Mbadiwe from New York, New York.
While it’s unclear if she’s the youngest contestant ever to compete on Jeopardy!, O’Dea — an 18-year-old undergraduate student — is as young as a player can be to appear on the show. (TV Insider reached out to Jeopardy! reps to confirm this, but did not hear back in time for publication.)
During the game, McGinn found the Daily Double on clue two. She had $600 in her bank and wagered the allotted $1,000. In “It Starts With a Preposition,” the clue read, “The general vibe of a place, or a pressure of 14.7 pounds per square inch.” “What is atmosphere?” she answered, giving her $1,600.
O’Dea didn’t have much luck in the beginning of the round, but by the first commercial break, she was only $200 away from first place. The rest of the round was a tight race between all three contestants. By the end of the round, O’Dea and McGinn were tied with $5,600. Mbadiwe, a management consultant, had $4,600.
In Double Jeopardy, O’Dea found the first DD on clue four. She had the lead with $7,600 and wagered $2,400 in “Into the Woods.” The clue read, “Though the name means ‘beyond the forest’, this region has its own woodlands like Hoia-Baciu.” “What’s Transylvania?” she answered correctly, maintaining the lead at $10,000.
She also found the last DD on clue 14. O’Dea had a wide lead with $14,800, and she wagered $4,000. In “12-Letter Words,” the clue read, “When you are guided into a trance-like state to treat things like anxiety or stress.” O’Dea said, “What… is… hypnotization?” but she was wrong, since it was hypnotherapy. She dropped to $10,800.
The round ended before the final three clues could be played. O’Dea had the lead with $11,600. Mbadiwe moved to second place with $9,000. The reigning champion had $8,000.
The category for Final Jeopardy was “Public Figures.” The clue was “Foreshadowing his 1978 death, he said, ‘If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.'” The correct response was Harvey Milk, and only one contestant got it right.
McGinn answered, “Who is John Lennon?” She wagered $0 and ended with $8,000. Mbadiwe’s response was “Who is Sha-?” He wagered $7,001, giving him $1,99 as a final total. O’Dea had the right answer and wagered $7,000, giving her a final total of $18,600. She was the night’s winner and one of the youngest on the game show.
“What an awesome story and outcome for Delaney. Obviously, incredibly impressive to be 18 and simply not embarrass yourself on the show, but equally impressive to have such a good knowledge base,” a Reddit user said.
“I hope she goes on a long run,” said another.
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