‘Jeopardy!’ Delivers Another Nail-Biting Contest as Betty Hume Battles Two New Challengers

Betty Hume’s reign as Jeopardy! champion faced another serious test on Friday, November 6, as the retired library reference assistant returned following her dramatic victory over four-time champion Erica Doornek. After claiming $21,000 in her previous game, Hume was determined to keep her winning run alive. However, two fresh challengers were ready to take the title, setting up another closely contested showdown.

The Fredericksburg, Virginia, native faced Jeremy Rotman, a lawyer originally from Paris, France, and Sam Dhindsa, a product manager from Oakland, California. All three contestants had a chance to become the next champion, but the game would prove far from straightforward.

Before the competition began, host Ken Jennings shared an amusing detail about Hume’s journey to the show. She had reportedly spent decades putting off her Jeopardy! audition before finally deciding to give it a try.

Jennings joked that her procrastination had clearly paid off, congratulating her on making it onto the show.

Hume Faces an Early Setback

The first round opened with the category “Wordplaying Our National Anthem” for $600. The clue asked contestants to identify the only contraction sung in the national anthem. Dhindsa responded correctly with “What is ‘o’er’?” and took control of the board.

Hume later found the first Daily Double in “Notes on November” for $800. With $1,800 in her bank, she wagered $800 on a clue about November’s birth flower, described as a golden variety native to Asia.

She missed the response, which was chrysanthemum, and dropped to $1,000, falling behind Dhindsa.

Hume gradually recovered, reaching $2,000 by the first break. Dhindsa remained close behind with $1,800, while Rotman had yet to score.

During the contestant interviews, Rotman revealed that he enjoys reality television because of its competitive nature. He particularly likes Survivor and the unpredictable drama of the Housewives franchise.

Dhindsa spoke about tango dancing, a hobby he had recently taken up. Hume, meanwhile, shared a more unusual personal goal: lowering her Spotify age. Although it was currently in her 80s, she hoped to bring it down into the 50s.

Rotman had a quiet start to the game and did not get on the scoreboard until near the end of the opening round. A clue in the “Diwali” category for $1,000 finally gave him an opportunity. Asked about the Indian leader who has a longstanding tradition of celebrating Diwali with the country’s armed forces, including aboard INS Vikrant in 2025, he correctly answered “Who is Modi?”

At the end of the round, Dhindsa led with $4,800. Hume followed with $3,000, while Rotman had climbed to $2,800.

Daily Doubles and a Dramatic Comeback

The competition intensified in Double Jeopardy!, where Hume found the second Daily Double in “American Novels” for $800.

She wagered $2,000 from her $3,400 total on a clue about a character named Mark in a Horatio Alger novel who sells an item, much like the little girl in a Hans Christian Andersen story. Hume correctly identified matches, allowing her to reclaim the lead.

The round also featured actor Mark Duplass in a video clue for the “Core Values” category. He discussed how he and his brother Jay made films such as The Puffy Chair, which helped shape an independent film genre that emerged in the early 2000s. The genre took its name from sound mixer Eric Masunaga’s description of the films’ naturalistic dialogue.

Dhindsa correctly identified the genre as mumblecore, earning $2,000.

Hume’s biggest opportunity came with the third and final Daily Double, which appeared under “Orchestras” for $1,600. By then, she had fallen to third place, but she decided to make a $4,000 wager against her $5,800 total.

The clue referred to the London Symphony Orchestra’s reputation as “The Film Music Orchestra,” mentioning Star Wars, Harry Potter and a film featuring Gary Oldman as Beethoven.

Hume appeared to struggle for a moment before buzzing in with “What is Immortal Beloved?” Her correct response gave her the lead at a crucial point in the game.

A Tight Race Heading Into Final Jeopardy!

With only one clue remaining, the scores were remarkably close. A last-minute correct response pushed Rotman into first place with $10,000.

Hume was just behind him with $9,800, while Dhindsa remained in contention with $8,000.

After a game filled with early setbacks, major wagers and last-second changes in momentum, all three contestants entered Final Jeopardy! with a realistic opportunity to claim victory. The returning champion would need one more strong performance to keep her title, but her challengers were making sure the outcome was far from certain.