Jeopardy! Champ Surprises Host Ken Jennings And Viewers With Interesting Outfit Choice

Jeopardy! champion David Sibley left the game’s host, Ken Jennings, and viewers amazed during his fourth win on the show by wearing a surprising outfit (Clergy collar). The show’s former champ is an Episcopal priest from Washington, whose opponents included Sonalee Rau, a life sciences consultant from New York City, and Moira Smith, an accountant from Washington, D.C.

David amassed a total of $78,098 from his four-day winning streak, crediting his line of work for this victory. While the priest now qualifies for next year’s Tournament of Champions, his place isn’t actually secured yet, as he hasn’t won five consecutive games.

David made an impression on Ken Jennings

David embodied his religious affiliation proudly as he appeared on stage wearing a clerical collar. The clergyman did extremely well with clues when answering questions in the religion category of the show during the early stage. “You’re doing well in this,” Ken commented on David’s brilliance. However, when the priest missed a clue about TV’s Euphoria, Ken also bantered, “I kind of thought David didn’t watch Euphoria.” He was right.

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Ken amusingly noted that the game wasn’t going smoothly, leading to his suggestions, “Perhaps that’s why he’s bringing out the big guns with the clerical collar,” quickly adding, “A priest, a truck driver and a grandma walk into a game show. The priest will be selecting first.”

During the final Jeopardy round, a clue reads, “Seen by a worldwide audience in 1970, black pentagons were added to these to help viewers follow them better on TV.” As it turned out, none of the three contestants got the answer “Soccer Balls,” but with the priest’s initial wager of $0 in his first two games during the last round, he became the winner while also attracting some fans.

Fans celebrate the priest

The priest made an impression on viewers after answering 28 clues correctly out of 32. He now ranks behind Luigi de Guzman as the contestant with the second-longest run in season 39. Fans are enthusiastic about his performance and have taken to Reddit to support him, with one writing, “Such a nice, fun, smart guy! Rooting for you!” While another said, “I can say with some level of confidence that David will likely be invited to the Tournament of Champions.”

David also made a post that addressed his standing as a man of God and stated that he loves all viewers irrespective of religious or societal bias. “I’m sure the occupation of ‘Episcopal Priest’ [is] traumatizing or triggering for some #Jeopardy so I want to be unequivocally clear: this priest is affirming of the lives, loves, and vocations of LGBTQIA+ people,” he tweeted. “So for anyone that needs to hear it from a priest: This priest loves you.”

The clergyman concluded by revealing the reason behind his controversial outfit. “I made the decision that unless asked by the producers, I wanted to wear normal clothes,” he claimed. “I wanted people to realize that I’m a regular guy, too — not holier than thou, but hopefully relatable.”