‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Reveals His Only Regret After 2-Win Run

Fans were disappointed to see Jeopardy! champion Mehal Shah go home after just two wins. If he had won one more game, he could have made it to the Tournament of Champions, which has dropped to three-win players for special invites. However, Shah doesn’t seem like he is taking it too hard. He said he has only one regret.

Here is what Mehal said about his time on Jeopardy!

Mehal Shah Loses As Two-Day Jeopardy! Champion

Mehal Shah had an impressive two-day run as Jeopardy! champion. However, it was also a short run full of memorable moments. On his first title defense, he did something that shocked everyone. Even Ken Jennings seemed surprised at the bidding during the game.
Mehal Shah – Jeopardy! | YouTube

Mehal found all three Daily Doubles. However, instead of playing it safe, he decided to go all in. He lost the first one and dropped back to zero. He pulled back up and then got his second one, and went all-in again. This time, he got it right. When he got the third Daily Double, he went all-in again.

Ken Jennings had to stop him to make sure, but Mehal said he was certain it was what he wanted to do. He got this one right, too, ending up with a score out of reach for the competition.

When fans on Reddit asked about it, Mehal actually responded and explained his bidding. “To me, it was the only right decision, given how fast Holly and Jack were on the buzzer. From studying, I found that I have about an 80% get rate on DDs when I feel confident in the category, and it was worth taking a shot,” he explained (via TV Insider). “The only reason I paused was to muster up the courage.

What Was Jeopardy! Winner’s One Regret?

Mehal said he wouldn’t have changed anything about his strategy in playing Jeopardy! However, he did regret one thing about his appearance on the show.

“My only regret is wearing that red tie,” Mehal said when finishing his post about his strategy and gameplay.

Sadly, Mehal lost in his third game and could not become a three-game winner, which should have secured his spot in the Tournament of Champions. This game ended with Ken Jennings making a joke that caused many fans to feel he should have “read the room.”

The Final Jeopardy! round had a movie question, and the clue was: “In this film, Paula Alquist tells Gregory Anton, ‘Have you gone mad, my husband? Or is it I who am mad?” The answer was, “What is Gaslight?” Mehal guessed, “What is folie de deux?” to which Ken Jennings joked, “The Joker movie?”

With that, Mehal went home and a new Jeopardy! champion was crowned. Let us know your thoughts on the two-day champ in the comments below.

Shawn S. Lealos has been a freelance writer for over 25 years and is a voting member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle. He is also a published author with a book about the Stephen King Dollar Baby Filmmakers.