On Tuesday night, Abbott Elementary actress Lisa Ann Walter became the latest winner of Celebrity Jeopardy! Congrats! Unfortunately, the win wasn’t a surprise for everyone: As per Entertainment Weekly, ABC accidentally revealed Walter’s win before the final bout aired. And Jeopardy! heads, who can be a fairly prickly bunch, were livid.
https://twitter.com/phillipseeberg/status/1749961575954301096
The spoiler came towards the beginning of the episode’s broadcast, via a promo for Jimmy Kimmel Tonight! (another ABC show whose title ends with an exclamation point). The ad promised that Walter would be one of the show’s guests. Some Jeopardy! heads put two and two together and surmised that, since she was doing the late-night rounds as a Celebrity Jeopardy! contestant that she probably won. And that’s just what happened.
And so, Jeopardy!, a nice game show for brainiacs that very occasionally gets creatively bad press, came under fire from angry fans on social media.
https://twitter.com/phillipseeberg/status/1749961575954301096
Maybe it really is just a coincidence, but it feels pretty shitty of ABC to promote that one of the contestants in Celebrity Jeopardy championship is going to be on Kimmel later that night. Definitely felt like a spoiler when I saw that.
— Jeverett15 (@jeverett15) January 24, 2024
Since Lisa Ann Walter is on @jimmykimmel tonight, is it safe to say she won? I don't want to assume or spoil anything. #CelebrityJeopardy
— Alana Clark (@aclarkcountry) January 24, 2024
@ABCNetwork Thanks for the spoiler on the Celebrity Jeopardy winner with the in-show pop up ad for Jimmy Kimmel’s guest Lisa Ann Walter 20 seconds into the tournament final.
— Lil' Suzy Greenberg (@suzy_greenberg) January 24, 2024
As for Walter, she innocently posted pictures of her hanging with Kimmel shortly before that show went on air.
We pause the celebratory jeopardy dance to party with @jimmykimmel
Tonight! pic.twitter.com/tqsUsVlYRV
— Lisa Ann Walter (@LisaAnnWalter) January 24, 2024
In happier news, the show recently got some love from one of its more famous regular viewers: Emma Stone revealed that she would love to go on the show, but not as one of its “celebrity” guests. She wants to do it the hard way, just like everyone else, saying, “I want to earn my stripes.” Good for her (and good for Walter).
(Via EW)
