Jeopardy! contestant breaks silence over sexist clue after host Ken Jennings is forced to apologize

A Jeopardy! contestant who was progressive successful a sexist hint incidental on the amusement shared that the infinitesimal was 'uncomfortable.'

Heather Ryan competed connected the October 28 occurrence of the quiz contention show, wherever an unexpected hint caught the viewers' attention.

The wellness programme manager from Binghamton, New York, buzzed successful for a question from the 'Complete the Rhyming Phrase' category. Host Ken Jennings, 50, past asked the phrase: 'Men seldom marque passes at...'

Fellow contestant Will Wallace, a crippled plan manager from Austin, Texas, correctly guessed the reply arsenic 'girls who deterioration glasses', making for an awkward TV infinitesimal as Heather besides happened to beryllium wearing glasses.

She present spoke retired astir the incidental during an interrogation with Binghamton University’s student-run newspaper Pipe Dream, stating: 'Maybe we take amended rhyming phrases successful 2024.'

'It is decidedly an unusual choice,' she told the paper. 

'I deliberation it made everybody successful the assemblage and connected stage, and Ken Jennings too, a small uncomfortable. It was like, "Oh, that was unexpected."'

'Unfortunately, determination are inactive girls who are [in] mediate schoolhouse and they don't privation to deterioration their glasses and they're losing retired connected their education,' she continued. 

'So, I deliberation it's overmuch amended to beryllium capable to spot than thing else.'

However, Heather shared that the remainder of her acquisition connected the amusement 'was precise fun.' 

'I had a large time. Everybody determination was precise welcoming. It's specified a portion of American civilization that I decidedly wanted to spell connected erstwhile I got the telephone for it.'

'It's conscionable a precise peculiar happening to play a tiny relation successful this large part,' she added. 'It's been moving for 40 years, and truthful I got to play my portion successful it.'

After Will gave his answer, big Ken was speedy to telephone the hint 'a small problematic' earlier apologizing to Heather.

Former reigning champion Will besides quipped 'very'.

Luckily, Heather didn't look excessively rattled by the concern - and Ken rapidly moved the crippled on.

Jeopardy! fans, however, blasted the 'sexist' hint connected societal media and slammed the class too.

Taking to Reddit, 1 said: 'Rhyming phrases class was awful, particularly the sexist clue.'

Echoing a akin sentiment, different added: 'Frankly, I don't request to perceive Ken work an evidently outdated and inappropriate hint and past telephone it 'problematic'.

A 3rd penned connected X: 'More similar highly problematic!'

'Men seldom marque passes astatine girls who deterioration glasses' is simply a punctuation from the precocious New York socialite and commentator Dorothy Parker from the 1920s and 1930s.

By the extremity of the episode, Will had conscionable $2 successful the bank, portion Heather had accrued $19,600.

But it was Ian Taylor, a nutrient income typical primitively from Cleveland, Ohio, who won the crippled with an awesome $19,601.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Ken was astatine hazard of being axed successful favour of Pop Culture Jeopardy! big Colin Jost.

The Mirror claimed that producers of the amusement were prompted to measurement up their options aft they saw ratings spike implicit connected Wheel of Fortune aft American Idol’s Ryan Seacrest took implicit the helm.

‘Jeopardy! higher-ups reportedly aren’t wholly all-in for Ken,’ the work said.

‘Rather than person Ken big the spinoff crippled amusement bid Pop Culture Jeopardy!, they tapped Saturday Night Live prima Colin Jost to capable the position.’

Ken has fronted Jeopardy! since play 41 aft erstwhile big Mayim Bialik was fired successful 2023.