‘Jeopardy’ Contestant’s Heart-Wrenching Interview Leaves Ken Jennings Speechless: “Oh, Wow”

Throughout most of Tuesday night’s episode of Jeopardy!, it was business as usual.

Heading into the interview portion, the game was tightly contested, with two-day returning champion Paul Clauson, a tax analyst from Madison Heights, Michigan, comfortably in the lead. He was followed by Mikey McCullough, a librarian from Baltimore, Maryland, with Chris Burge, a high school teacher from Farmers Branch, Texas, trailing behind.

While the game would eventually heat up, fans were particularly captivated during this segment as host Ken Jennings engaged with the contestants. After re-awarding Burge some late points after a question was retroactively deemed correct, he gave him the floor to speak on some harrowing health news.

“I understand you’re facing a health challenge right now that you wanted to talk about,” Jennings said.

“Yeah, I’ve been fighting Stage IV colon cancer since May,” responded Burge.

He was met with a shocked “oh, wow” from Jennings, the record-breaking Jeopardy! champion who became the permanent host of the show last year after long-time host Alex Trebek passed away from stage four pancreatic cancer in 2020.

“Young adult diagnoses have increased a lot in recent years,” Burge carried on. “Definitely encourage people not to ignore any kind of symptoms. Definitely push to get tested, especially if you have any family history of it.”

“That’s a great word to get out there,” Jennings said. “Thank you so much, Chris.”
Photo: YouTube/Jeopardy

The game continued as Clauson aimed to increase his $36,000 prize pool and secure a spot in the Tournament of Champions. His plans were thwarted as McCullough gradually closed in and took the lead, but most fans were still reeling from Burge’s story.

“Shoutout to Chris on tonight’s @Jeopardy,” wrote one fan. “Such a powerful message to get out. Please get checked and tested and don’t ignore symptoms!”

“If Chris from tonight’s #jeopardy is reading this I want you to know that I was absolutely rooting for you tonight and I hope you are doing well,” echoed another viewer.

Burge ultimately fell short in second place, and McCullough snatched the crown from Clauson, finishing the game with a total of $18,200.

If it’s any consolation, during his stint on the historic game show, Burge created an unforgettable moment that sparked difficult yet important conversations.

Jeopardy! airs on weeknights at 7/6c. Check out their website for your local listings.