Stumped, Harrison Whitaker wrote ‘It’s been fun’ on Final Jeopardy. He still won
Correction: This story has been edited to correct an error.
It was clear Harrison Whitaker thought his seven-game winning streak on “Jeopardy!” was over. He looked nervous Thursday, Nov. 20, going into the game’s final round.
As the seconds ticked by, Whitaker appeared lost, pausing to look up while his two opponents — Blythe Roberson and Kara Brown — locked in their answers to a question about a female author.
Whitaker had a narrower lead Thursday. His first place score of $16,400 wasn’t insurmountable, not with Brown at $11,200.
Stumped, Whitaker wrote the following response to Thursday’s Final Jeopardy clue: “Well, it’s been fun.”
Two costly mistakes by Roberson and Brown, however, gave him the victory anyway.
What was the Final Jeopardy question for Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025?
The Final Jeopardy clue on Thursday, Nov. 20, concerned women authors. The clue: “In her 2016 New York Times obituary, this author was said to have ‘gained a reputation as a literary Garbo.'”
Whitaker, Roberson, and Brown had 30 seconds to write down their response.
“Garbo was famously reclusive but who’s the Garbo-esque writer?” asked “Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings.
Roberson, in third place with $3,000, answered “Who is Alice Monroe?” She bet it all and ended the night with zero dollars. Brown answered, “Who is Wolfe?” She wagered $5,201 to unseat Whitaker, a mistake that dropped her down to $5,999.
The correct response? “Who is Harper Lee?”
Whitaker’s bet of $6,001 decreased his score to $10,399 while keeping him in first place.
“But you dodged a bullet; today, that’s enough,” Jennings said. “You are an 8-day ‘Jeopardy!’ Champion.”
How much money has Harrison Whitaker won on ‘Jeopardy’ so far?
As of Nov. 20, Whitaker’s total winnings on “Jeopardy” have earned him $218,600.
The Terre Haute native will face off against challengers Jamie Kohlmeier, a beer specialist originally from Sarnia, Ontario, and Sarah Wylie, a teacher from Boynton Beach, Florida.
How to watch ‘Jeopardy!’ When is it on?
“Jeopardy!” airs at 7:30 p.m. on weeknights on NBC.
How to stream ‘Jeopardy!’
You can watch the show live with some Peacock subscriptions. Recent episodes stream the day after they air.
