Fans of the long-running quiz show “Jeopardy!” demanded changes to the “Final Jeopardy!” format following a controversial ruling that accepted what many viewers considered an illegible answer from contestant Rishabh Wuppalapati.
During the October 16, 2024 episode, Wuppalapati, an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania from Vernon Hills, Illinois, wrote what appeared to many viewers to look like “Cdumlacf” for his “Final Jeopardy!” response.
The clue asked contestants to identify the name shared by cities housing two Southeastern Conference schools in different states. The correct answer was “Columbia.”
“He wrote down Fayetteville & changed it to Columbia, and I can read every letter. That is correct,” host Ken Jennings announced during the show.
The ruling allowed Wuppalapati to secure his second consecutive victory, adding $9,801 to bring his total winnings to $42,402. His closest competitor, Rachel Cassidy, missed an opportunity to take the lead when she didn’t wager more during the second Daily Double.
Adding to the controversy, Wuppalapati spoke up before the judges revealed their ruling, stating, “I can read every letter,” which some viewers interpreted as an attempt to influence the decision.
Fans have criticized the decision to accept Wuppalapati’s scribbled answer, with some questioning how legible his response was. One viewer expressed doubt that the writing spelled “Columbia,” though they ultimately accepted the decision since Ken Jennings did. Another viewer agreed, acknowledging that while the writing was messy and could be interpreted as “Cdumlaq,” it contained the basic elements of “Columbia.”
Others clarified that the decision wasn’t entirely up to Jennings, as judges review contestant responses in real time. The incident has also renewed calls for replacing handwritten responses in Final Jeopardy with a keyboard format to prevent similar controversies in the future.
Contestant Rachel Cassidy later commented that there was no debate behind the scenes about accepting Wuppalapati’s answer. However, this has done little to quell viewer concerns about judging handwritten responses consistently.
