A 31-year-old journalist from Washington, D.C., has made a triumphant return to the Jeopardy! universe, but not in the way most fans expected. Drew Goins, who became one of the most recognizable faces in modern Jeopardy! despite losing most of his games, announced on Instagram April 28 that he and his brother Zach Goins will team up for Season 2 of Netflix’s Pop Culture Jeopardy!, which premieres May 11, 2026.
The brothers will make their debut in episode nine, airing May 21. Zach hosts the podcast Inside the Film Room and works as a social producer at STN Digital, in addition to his career as a reporter. The new season will drop one new episode every weekday for four weeks starting May 11.
A Deep-Cut Tribute That Resonated With Fans
What really got trivia show devotees talking was the duo’s cheeky team name. In a promotional photo showing the pair behind their podium, they revealed their moniker: “Losers, In Other Words” — a reference that longtime Jeopardy! fans instantly recognized.
The name pays homage to a memorable 2016 moment involving the late, beloved host Alex Trebek. That October, during a contestant interview segment, Trebek chatted with Susan Cole about her love of nerdcore hip-hop. Cole explained the genre featured people who identify as nerdy “rapping about the things they love.” Trebek deadpanned that they were “losers, in other words,” delivering one of the host’s most quotable zingers.
Goins never got the chance to play when Trebek was hosting, making the tribute carry extra emotional weight. By tipping his cap to a moment Jeopardy! diehards still quote nearly a decade later, Goins has endeared himself to the fandom even further. Another shot in his Instagram carousel showed the current Pop Culture Jeopardy! host Colin Jost shrugging with the caption, “What the hell, sure.”
Rising to Fame Through Repeated Defeats
Goins has remarkably become one of the franchise’s most recognizable faces largely by losing. He first appeared on the show Sept. 25, 2024, and dropped his original game. But after answering 22 of 25 clues correctly, he qualified for the Second Chance Tournament, which he won, advancing to the Champions Wildcard Tournament.
In the Champions Wildcard, Goins finished as first runner-up. His path to the Tournament of Champions came through an unexpected door when Celebrity Jeopardy! winner Lisa Ann Walter dropped out, and Goins took her place. Though he lost his TOC semifinal, he showed up to a later taping wearing a Lisa Ann Walter shirt and proclaiming himself her number one fan — a viral moment that further cemented his fandom credentials. The two have since become friendly online.
An Invitational Tournament That Nearly Went His Way
From there, Goins advanced to the Invitational Tournament, where his quarterfinal aired on Feb. 9, 2026. He squared off against T.L. Cubbage, a lawyer from Dallas, TX, and Liz Feltner, a law student from Baton Rouge, LA. Feltner finished third in the 2022 National College Championship.
The Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament — an invitation-only tournament where contestants choose whether to compete — offers a winner’s prize of $150,000 and a coveted slot in Jeopardy! Masters. Goins’ quarterfinal got off to a rough start when he hit the first Daily Double on clue 11. Wagering all $3,000 in the category “From Samuel Johnson’s 1755 Dictionary,” Goins answered incorrectly. Host Ken Jennings delivered the bad news: the correct response was “lexicographer,” dropping Goins to $0.
Feltner led with $2,200 after the first 15 clues. Goins clawed back impressively, but it wasn’t enough to overtake the field. After the first round, Feltner held the lead with $4,800, Cubbage sat at $3,600, and Goins trailed in third with $2,800. All three missed Final Jeopardy, but Goins’ wagering strategy left him $1 ahead of Feltner — enough to advance to the semifinals. He ultimately fell to Long Nguyen in the semifinal round, adding another close-but-not-quite finish to his trademark style.
Fans Already Setting Reminders
Fans flooded the comments section with reactions ranging from delighted to deeply invested. “This feels like cheating, and I don’t know why,” one commenter joked, while another quipped, “Man was so popular on Jeopardy! he qualified for Pop Culture Jeopardy!” Others praised the team name itself, with one viewer simply writing, “I am far too excited about this!”
Given Drew’s track record as the show’s most lovable underdog — and the brothers’ instantly viral team name — fans are already counting down the days until May 21.
