‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Reveals the Most Difficult Part of Appearing on the Show

For one Jeopardy! contestant, the hardest part of appearing on the beloved quiz show had nothing to do with answering challenging questions or standing under the studio lights. It was the month-long wait to tell anyone about the experience.

Donna Bowman, a theologian and professor from Conway, Arkansas, recently shared what she found most difficult after finally earning a place on the show following seven or eight years of auditions. Meanwhile, Tuesday’s November 10 episode brought another major shake-up, as returning champion Curtis Parker faced two new challengers — but it was Will Goree who ultimately claimed the victory.

Donna Bowman Had to Keep Her Appearance Secret for a Month

Parker, a researcher from Havertown, Pennsylvania, returned for his second game with $15,600 in winnings. His opponents were Bowman and Will Goree, a teacher from Austin, Texas.

Although attention was on whether Parker could extend his winning run, Bowman had an interesting story of her own to share. Speaking to the University of Central Arkansas, she revealed that she had spent seven or eight years trying to get onto Jeopardy! before finally receiving an invitation.

The call came in August, giving her the opportunity to travel to the studio and record her episode in September. However, the excitement came with one particularly difficult condition: she could not tell anyone about it.

“I had to keep it secret for a whole month, and that was excruciating,” Bowman told the university.

Despite the nerves leading up to her appearance, she said the experience was far more enjoyable than she had initially expected.

“The biggest thing I want people to know about playing Jeopardy! is that it is so much fun. I was nervous about falling flat on my face, but the way they treat you and prepare you, all that fear goes away before you play,” she explained.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Tuesday, November 10 episode of Jeopardy!

Bowman Takes an Early Lead With a Correct Daily Double

The opening round was competitive, but Bowman gained an advantage when she uncovered the Daily Double on clue 10. With $2,000 on the scoreboard, she wagered $1,500 in the category “Professors, Real & Fictional.”

The clue read: “2 years after a famous step, he stepped into a professorship of Aerospace engineering at the Univ. of Cincinnati.”

Bowman correctly answered, “Who is Armstrong?” Her successful wager brought her total to $3,500 and gave her a substantial lead.

The other two contestants remained within reach, however. By the time the first 15 clues had been played, both Parker and Goree had scores in the $2,000 range.

Bowman maintained her advantage through the end of the round, finishing with $6,900. Parker followed in second place with $4,600, while Goree had $4,200.

Goree Turns the Competition Around With Two Daily Doubles

The momentum shifted dramatically in Double Jeopardy! when Goree found the first Daily Double on clue 10. Still carrying his $4,200 score from the previous round, he decided to wager everything in the category “British Poet Laureate.”

The clue referenced Poet Laureate Thomas Shadwell, who wrote plays as well as the 1674 opera The Enchanted Island, based on another play.

Goree correctly identified the source as The Tempest, doubling his total to $8,400 and moving into second place.

By clue 13, he had taken the lead. His advantage grew even further when he discovered the final Daily Double on clue 16.

With $13,200 already on the board, Goree made an ambitious $11,000 wager in “Physics by the Letter.”

The clue described the destructive result that occurs when a particle and an antiparticle collide. Goree confidently supplied “What is annihilation?” and got it right, boosting his score to $24,200.

He continued building on that advantage for the remainder of the round. At the end of Double Jeopardy!, Goree led comfortably with $28,600. Bowman had $10,100, while Parker had fallen to third place with $8,600.

Final Jeopardy! Crowns a New Champion

The final category was “Acts of Congress,” with a clue asking contestants to identify a tragedy in a North Side garage that played a major role in the establishment of the National Firearms Act.

Only Goree came up with the correct response.

Parker wrote, “What is go birds?” — an apparent shout-out to the Philadelphia Eagles rather than an answer to the clue. He wagered $1,600, leaving him with $7,000.

Bowman submitted an incorrect response beginning, “What is Lee Harvey Oswald’s sho…?” Her $7,101 wager reduced her final total to $2,999.

Goree correctly answered, “What is the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre?” He chose to wager nothing, preserving his $28,600 score and securing the victory.

The result ended Parker’s brief reign as champion, while Goree earned his first win and secured a return to the show for Wednesday’s episode.

Jeopardy! airs weekdays. Check local listings for broadcast times. Episodes are available to stream the following day on Hulu and Peacock.