The host, 50, left contestants Adriana Harmeyer, Kelsey Kaunisviita Vockrodt, and Ty Patton stumped after reading out a clue from the human race category for $1,000 on Monday night’s instalment. 

Ken said: ‘Using animal fat and sticks, a team of Spanish researchers tried to solve this kind of obvious question about cave paintings.’

Shooting his shot, communications specialist Ty incorrectly answered: ‘What is how they painted them?’

Kelsey, a stay-at-home mom from Ottawa, Ontario, then buzzed in and said: ‘What is what kind of paint they used?’

Ken Jennings came under fire for asking a poorly written question on Monday night’s episode of Jeopardy!

The host stumped all three players after reading out a clue from the human race category

‘That’s also not right,’ Ken replied.

He then struggled to read the right answer seamlessly, as he said: ‘They used animal fat and sticks to try to get some illumination in there.

‘The question is, how did they paint in a dark?’

The clue did not go down well with viewers at home, with one branding it a ‘very poorly pinned clue.’

Another vented their fury on X, asking: ‘I’m sorry but did anyone else find that cave painting question on #jeopardy unfair?’

‘That cave painting question was REALLY BADLY WRITTEN,’ wrote another.

A third begged: ‘Can you hire me as a Jeopardy question writer? I would make questions that people could actually answer, but still challenging.

‘Not this obscure stuff that no one knows.’

Both Ty Patton and Kelsey Kaunisviita Vockrodt buzzed in with wrong answers

Viewers also complained about the question on Reddit, with one user asking: ‘Anyone else hate that cave painting question?

‘It seemed really clunky and hard to tell what they were looking for as a response.’

‘Yes, it was atrocious,’ another agreed. ‘Even Ken couldn’t really articulate the correct response well.’

A third raged: ‘Omg that cave painting question was the worst.

‘Both Ty’s answer and Kelsey’s answer were correct if you ask me. They were both obvious questions and using a stick and animal fat might be used in the research to answer both. Very poorly pinned clue.’

It is not the first time Jeopardy! has riled viewers of late.

Last week the show was inundated with complaints online after Ken asked players: ‘Of the 10 US states with two-word names, this one stretches the farthest south.’

It was dubbed ‘the easiest final question of all time’ – leading many to accuse the show of ‘dumbing down’ the questions.

Viewers across Reddit and X were infuriated by the wording of the clue, and branded it ‘unfair’

Audiences were also left with their jaws on the floor after one contestant candidly divulged her struggles with bowel function.

Hakme Lee, a scientific instructional technician from Seattle, disclosed she had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) midway through the show, when Ken took a moment to get to know the players.

As he turned his attention to Hakme, he asked: ‘You knew your fiancé was a keeper after only three dates?’

She replied: ‘So I have IBS, which is medical speak for I go to the bathroom when I’m nervous – and I was very open about that with him.

‘On our third date, which was dinner at his place, I go to his apartment, he takes my coat, and then he guides me by the elbow and shows me where the bathroom is.’

Ken was visibly stunned by Hakme’s revelation and replied: ‘Look at that. Thoughtful.

‘What’s the opposite of a red flag? I love that.’