'Jeopardy!' Ken Jennings Mimics Contestant's Strong Drawl

Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings is an excellent host and seems like an equally great impersonator. During a nail-biting episode on the Tournament Of Champions 2022, the contestant-turned-host tried to do something new by mimicking a Jeopardy! champion. However, after the fun segment, the episode had a heartbreaking finish. What happened? Keep reading to find out the details!

Host Ken Jennings Tries To Mimic Margaret’s Southern Accent

On Wednesday, the 48-year-old seemed so enticed by champion Margaret Shelton’s thick accent that he tried to mimic it. Margaret, who is a homemaker, faced Tyler Rhode, a start-up director from New York City. The third contestant aiming for the prize money was Brian Chang, an attorney from Chicago.

[Source: YouTube]

Currently, Ken is hosting the Tournament Of Champions that started airing on Monday as opposed to regular Jeopardy! episodes. For the next three weeks, the regular slot will be taken up by the spinoff. During the episode’s Q&A section, a mesmerized Ken tried to add a Southern drawl to his accent as he talked to Margaret, “I was reminded a moment ago when you said ‘What is left behind.’”

[Source: YouTube]

“That you are not originally from Pittsburg,” he added going back to his normal voice.

Champion Margaret Reveals She Is From Mississippi

Margaret sweetly responded, “I am not, I am from Drew, Mississippi and one of the funniest outcomes after my original shows, was some people on the internet thought I was faking or exaggerating my accent.”

“Which is hell-arious,” she continued matching his impression of her accent along with some Southern energy, and said, “My ‘ya’ll’ is authentic!”

[Source: YouTube]

Ken adored the conversation and added, “Well here’s what I say about those doubters, bless their hearts,” as the crowd burst out in laughter.

Ken Jennings Gushed At Margaret Acing The Game

Given that her rivals were 7-time and 5-time former winners, Margaret was technically the underdog in the episode as a 4-time champion. As per The Sun, in the Tournament Of Champions, a player has to win a minimum of 4 games in the past year to qualify for participation.

[Source: YouTube]

After the fun segment with the host, she jumped back into the game with all seriousness. She swept through the ‘Novel Nurses’ category which resulted in a round of applause from the audience as she said “Please” before asking for each clue.

Ken remarked, “You tied the game up at a key moment! Margaret’s been on a tear.”

Margaret Loses To Tyler In Final Jeopardy

However, this was when everything went south for the contestant. Margaret was tied with Tyler as they went for the Final Jeopardy round. While the duo stood at $17,400, Brian had a total of $4,200 for the final round. Both Tyler and Margaret got the answer right. However, while Tyler bet it all bringing his total to $34.8K, Margaret only wagered $7K. Tyler won by a bare margin as the homemaker looked distraught at her loss.