Lisa Ann Walter let out a curse on Monday, Jan. 26, during the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions after answering a clue incorrectly. The 62-year-old actress, who had already won Celebrity Jeopardy! in 2024, finished the game with -$2,600 and was unable to advance to the Final Jeopardy round.
At a Glance
- Date of incident: Jan. 26
- Final score: -$2,600
- Other contestants: TJ Fisher ($15,199) and Mike Dawson
- Why it matters: Walter’s outburst sparked audience gasps and online debate over the appropriateness of profanity on a family-friendly game show.
Background: Lisa Ann Walter and Jeopardy!
Lisa Ann Walter, known for her role in The Parent Trap, is a 62-year-old actress who has appeared on television and film projects for decades. She first made headlines in the Jeopardy! world when she captured the title of Celebrity Jeopardy! season two in 2024. In a pre-game interview, she told host Ken Jennings, “I’m going to be buried in [my Jeopardy! trophy], it’s my urn,” and added that the trophy was now part of her will.
The Tournament of Champions is a special series that features past winners of Jeopardy! and Celebrity Jeopardy!. It airs on ABC weeknights, and the 2024 tournament began on Monday, Jan. 26.
The Incident
During the Monday episode, Walter was already down -200 points when she answered clue 21 incorrectly. She then said, “What the hell?” The comment was audible to the studio audience, who reacted with a mixture of laughter and gasps. The host, Alex Trebek’s successor, continued the game without interruption.
The audience reaction was immediate: a few audible laughs were followed by a chorus of gasps. The moment was captured on the live broadcast and later shared on social media.
Online Reactions
The clip quickly spread online, prompting a flurry of comments:
- An X user wrote, “Did not have Lisa Ann Walter casually breaking the Jeopardy! decorum on my bingo card 😂.”
- Another X user responded, “Hell isn’t a curse word. She’s a lovely person and a fantastic actress. Who cares if she did curse. So many other things that are going on are worse than hearing a curse word.”
- On Reddit, a user asked, “How do we feel about Lisa cursing?” and another replied, “I curse while watching so much, especially when a contestant gets a wrong response for some BS…”
These responses illustrate a split in public opinion: some viewers defended Walter’s outburst as a natural reaction, while others felt it violated the show’s decorum.
Tournament Outcome
At the end of the game, Walter’s score had fallen to -$2,600, placing her in last place among the three contestants. She could not compete in the Final Jeopardy round, which is reserved for the top two scores. Her fellow competitors, marketing specialist TJ Fisher and technology manager Mike Dawson, advanced to the semifinals.
| Contestant | Final Score |
|---|---|
| Lisa Ann Walter | -$2,600 |
| TJ Fisher | $15,199 |
| Mike Dawson | – |
Fisher’s impressive $15,199 win secured her a spot in the semifinals, while Dawson’s score was not enough to advance.
Past Jeopardy! Success
Walter’s 2024 Celebrity Jeopardy! victory was a highlight of her career. In an interview with The Daily Beast, she reflected on the win, saying, “Once I won, I said, ‘I’m good now.’ I don’t have to win anything else. I mean, I’d still like an Emmy and an Oscar – but do I have to win anything else? No, I don’t, because I’m a Jeopardy! champion.”
Her confidence in her Jeopardy! abilities was evident when she told Ken Jennings that she would take the trophy to her grave. That statement underscored how much the game meant to her.
Conclusion
Lisa Ann Walter’s moment of frustration on the Tournament of Champions has become a talking point for fans of Jeopardy! The incident highlighted the fine line between spontaneous emotion and the show’s traditional decorum. While the audience and online community split on the appropriateness of her outburst, the game’s format remained unchanged.
Key Takeaways
- Walter’s curse occurred after a wrong answer when she was down -200 points.
- She finished with -$2,600, missing the Final Jeopardy round.
- The incident sparked mixed reactions on X and Reddit.
- Walter’s past win in Celebrity Jeopardy! shows her strong connection to the game.
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