The long-running game show “Jeopardy!” faced criticism from viewers following a July 7 episode that featured what many described as a confusingly worded Final Jeopardy clue about James Bond films. The controversy centered on a question in the “Movie Music” category that left contestants and audience members struggling to understand its meaning.
Host Ken Jennings presented the Final Jeopardy clue: “The last 2 best song Oscar winners whose titles were the same name as the movie they were in had this man in the leading role.” The wording proved problematic for viewers who interpreted it as asking about the most recent two Best Original Song winners from 2024 and 2025, rather than the intended meaning.
Contestant Ashley Caval Curto wrote down actor Timothée Chalamet as her answer, which Jennings confirmed was incorrect. Both Vince Carter and returning champion Scott Riccardi correctly identified Daniel Craig as the answer, with Riccardi securing his third consecutive victory. The clue referenced the James Bond films “Skyfall” from 2012 and “No Time to Die” from 2021, both of which won Academy Awards for Best Original Song with title tracks performed by Adele and Billie Eilish, respectively.
Viewers expressed their frustration across multiple platforms, with one fan commenting on the Jeopardy! YouTube page: “This was poorly phrased. I assumed they were asking about the last 2 Best Song winners: 2024 and 2025. The strength of the comma!” The criticism highlighted how the punctuation and structure led many to misinterpret the question’s intent.
Additional concerns arose about whether the clue was asking for the actor’s name or the character name. One viewer noted on the YouTube page that when the clue mentioned “leading role,” it failed to specify whether they wanted “actor or character” as the response. Another fan wondered on social media whether James Bond would have been accepted as an alternative answer to Daniel Craig.
The confusion extended to the timing aspect of the clue. A viewer on X described the question as “convoluted” but “manageable,” while another explained that it required more than the standard thinking time to decipher what was being asked. Some fans noted the clue’s difficulty in distinguishing it from other recent James Bond films, pointing out that “Spectre” also won an Oscar for Best Original Song, though its winning song was titled “Writing’s on the Wall” rather than sharing the movie’s title.
Despite the widespread criticism, some viewers defended the clue as “too easy” and noted that the James Bond franchise uniquely shares more movie and song titles than most other film series. These supporters argued that once properly understood, the connection between the Oscar-winning songs and Daniel Craig’s portrayal of the character became clear.
The controversy represents the latest in a series of recent challenges for the game show. In June, the program faced accusations of being “fixed” when contestant Emily Croke revealed during the episode that she was related to the subject of the Final Jeopardy clue. Additionally, the show came under scrutiny when outlets incorrectly reported that Jason Singer and Susan MacMillan were the first married couple to both become “Jeopardy!” champions, prompting former contestant Kristin Sausville to publicly correct the record.
Jennings, who began hosting duties after the death of longtime host Alex Trebek in 2020, has previously expressed empathy for contestants facing difficult situations on the show. In April, he told Fox News Digital that his heart goes out to participants, explaining that it represents their first time on television in a high-pressure environment. The former 74-game winner emphasized his approach of trying to make contestants comfortable while hoping they succeed.
The James Bond clue controversy highlights ongoing challenges in crafting clear, unambiguous questions for the venerable game show. While the correct answer was ultimately Daniel Craig, based on his starring roles in both “Skyfall” and “No Time to Die,” the wording left many viewers confused about the question’s specific requirements.
