Ken Jennings Apologizes to Female 'Jeopardy!' Contestant for Sexist and 'Problematic' Answer

Ken Jennings gave an on-air apology to a Jeopardy! contestant after the show included what many thought was a sexist clue and answer on the Monday, October 28, episode of the game show.

In the category "Complete the Rhyming Phrase," Heather Ryan selected the $400 slot, which contained the clue, "Men seldom make passes at..."

Ryan didn't know the answer, but her competitor Will Wallace chimed in to correctly guess, "Women who wear glasses."

The quote, which was from late poet Dorothy Parker, made for an awkward moment since Ryan was wearing glasses.

"A little problematic, sorry Heather," Jennings stated, to which Will added, "Very."

Jennings, a previous champion of the show, and Mayim Bialik shared hosting duties after Alex Trebek passed from pancreatic cancer in 2020. However, in December 2023, the Big Bang Theory actress announced she would be leaving the series.

Jennings was surprised by her departure, sharing in an interview at the time, "It took me off guard, because I loved working with my Mayim and I’m gonna miss her. I can’t speak to her decision-making process or her opinions about it."

"On my end, I’m just a fan of Jeopardy! and I’m always delighted to host when they call upon me. I just feel extremely lucky to have even been considered for this job as a non-broadcaster," he continued. "It’s kind of a weird thing to try to bring back an ex-contestant to host, and I’ve obviously been learning as I go. But I loved growing up with Jeopardy! where Alex [Trebek] was the host of that show for almost 38 years."

"People just kind of felt like he was part of their family and it’s impossible to fill those shoes," Jennings noted. "It's such an honor and hopefully I look forward to 37 more years of doing it, when I’ll be a very, very old man."

It seems like the decision may not have been completely Bialik's, as the actress vaguely shared in a statement, "Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy! I am incredibly honored to have been nominated for a primetime Emmy for hosting this year and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the Jeopardy! family."