Celebrity Jeopardy! plummets to lowest ratings this season after sex assault claims against contestant & ‘poor’ casting

CELEBRITY Jeopardy! ratings have dropped by over a million viewers after the premiere episode, as the season’s casting choices have received backlash from fans.

Ken Jennings hosts Jeopardy! and Celebrity Jeopardy!Credit: Disney

The series has come under fire for airing an episode featuring actor Brian Jordan AlvarezCredit: Getty

The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal the premiere episode on January 8 brought in 3,028,000 viewers.

The episode featured actor Max Greenfield, actress Camilla Luddington and comedian W. Kamau Bell.

The January 15 episode, featuring actresses Melissa Peterman and Jackie Tohn, and writer Neil deGrasse Tyson, brought in 2,648,000 viewers, a slight dip from the week prior.

The January 22 episode had fewer viewers with 2,519,000 tuning in.

Jeopardy! superchamp Adriana Harmeyer crushes opponents in brutal ToC defeat

This episode had contestants Seth Green, Margaret Cho and Rachel Brosnahan.

The January 29 episode had the lowest of the season with 1,835,000 viewers watching Roy Wood Jr., Brian Jordan Alvarez and Phoebe Robinson compete.

Brian [L] was accused of sexual assault, claims he deniedCredit: Getty

CONTESTANT BACKLASH

The low ratings could be a result of casting, as Celebrity Jeopardy! received backlash from viewers for casting actor and comedian Brian.

In December, before the episode was filmed, the English Teacher actor was hit with claims of sexual assault. Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings reveals SNL star he’d choose to play him

Vulture reported Brian’s former co-star on The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo, Joe Ebeling, accused him of assault over eight years ago while shooting a scene for the web series.

He claimed Brian sexually assaulted him while filming the scene without his consent.

Joe claimed he filed a police report with the Los Angeles Police Department in September and reported Brian to the Screen Actors Guild.

Brian’s lawyer Michael J. Kump confirmed the “brief” encounter to Vulture, but said Bryan “believed (correctly and justifiably in light of Brian’s then-current sexual relationship with Mr. Ebeling) that Mr. Ebeling was fine with it.”

His lawyer also claimed Joe “consented verbally” to doing this “for real” before the scene. Joe denied that claim.

Fans were upset Celebrity Jeopardy! aired the episode, as one commented on Instagram, “Disappointed to see Brian Jordan Alvarez on here.”

Another wrote, “It’s Jeopardy so I’ll answer in the form of a question: ‘What is consent?’ That’ll be a tough one for a certain one of these contestants to answer.”

CELEBRITY CONTESTANTS?

The ratings drop also comes after the series received backlash over the “unknown” celebrity contestants chosen this season.

One fan wrote on Instagram, “Neil is the only ‘celebrity’ this season I’ve heard of.”

A second sarcastically wrote, “Oh… I thought you said ‘Celebrity Jeoprady.’”

A third commented, “These are celebrities????”

Another said, “‘Celebrity’ Jeopardy! is used a bit loosely here. Neil is the only celeb on the show.”

A fifth commented of the January 22 episode, “Tbh, I didn’t know any of them prior to tonight.”

JEOPARDY! RATINGS

Ken hosts Jeopardy! as well, as the series is currently airing its Tournament of Champions.

The drop in ratings comes after Wheel of Fortune with new host Ryan Seacrest beat out Jeopardy! for their Season 42 premiere.

The U.S. Sun previously reported 8,310,000 viewers watched Wheel of Fortune for the premiere week of September 9 to September 15.

As for rival game show Jeopardy!, 7,113,000 viewers tuned in for the episodes.

Wheel of Fortune taking over the top spot is a shock, as Jeopardy! brought in more viewers overall last season.

Jeopardy! 2025 Tournament of Champions

Jeopardy!’s next Tournament of Champions will take place this winter, midway through Season 41 (exact airdate TBA) and it’s shaping up to be another showstopper. Here’s who is officially eligible so far:

Adriana Harmeyer (15 wins and $349,600 total)
Isaac Hirsch (nine wins and $215,390)
Greg Jolin (five wins and $135,002)
Survivor alum Drew Basile (seven wins and $129,601)
Alison Betts (5 wins and $121,500)
Mark Fitzpatrick (five wins and $107,201)
Dr. Amy Hummel (5 wins and $100,994)
Ryan Manton (four wins and $83,179)
Grant DeYoung (four wins and $81,203)
Will Wallace (four wins and $79,998)
Amar Kakirde (four wins and $55,899)
Lisa Ann Walter (winner of Celebrity Jeopardy! 2024)

The prize for winning the ToC is $250,000 and a coveted slot in Jeopardy! Masters.

Jeopardy.com notes: “All 4-time and over winning players starting from 04/10/24 will be eligible for a future Tournament of Champions.”

“Presence on this list does NOT guarantee an invitation to compete. Other eligibility rules apply and final selection is up to the producers’ sole discretion.”

HOST BATTLE

The former American Idol star’s success on the game show could mean trouble for Ken, 50.

A source previously told The U.S. Sun, “Ryan is bringing a sense of youth and urgency to the job that is a lot harder to pull off than it looks, and Wheel is bound to get a bump in the numbers once his episodes start running in September.

“My advice to Ken is that just because Mayim is out of the picture doesn’t mean he shouldn’t watch his back.”

Ken and The Big Bang Theory’s Mayim Bialik shared hosting duties until she was let go from the show in 2023.

“In most media markets these shows run back-to-back and Ken needs to make sure he doesn’t suffer from the contrast with Ryan,” the insider continued to claim.

“It’s a tricky situation because their personalities are so radically different from one another.”

A second source told The U.S. Sun that while Ken currently has no long-term contract with the show, he has made it known to higher-ups that he would like to host for the long haul.

“Jeopardy! is Ken’s religion; he lives it, and he breathes it, and despite all the outside pressures, he’s not going to mess this up,” the insider claimed.

“He’s proud to have worked his way into this position and believes he has what it takes to make it last for decades to come.”

The source continued, “What he really wants more than anything is to stick around and make this position work for the long run.

“And if that means making less money to ensure his longevity, you can bet your life he’d be game.

“This isn’t all about the money. It’s a way of life for Ken and then some. He’s in it for the long run and to secure his status in the show’s history.”