Jeopardy! viewers are buzzing after a mind-blowing coincidence on Monday night’s episode — and not everyone is feeling the trivia magic.
Emily Croke, a contestant on the June 23 episode, walked away the champ with $13,201 in winnings, thanks in part to a Final Jeopardy! clue that had a jaw-dropping connection to her own family.
The clue: “In 1896, the Vassar-educated wife of this man wrote, ‘Thousands of dollars may be paid for a copy of Shakespeare.’” Emily nailed it with the answer “Folger” — as in Emily Folger, the woman referenced in the clue.
The kicker? That woman happens to be Emily Croke’s great-great-great-aunt. And yes, Emily was named after her.
Ken Jennings’ reaction was pure shock. In a clip shared to the Jeopardy! Instagram, he asked, “Emily Folger, the one we mentioned in the clue is the person you, Emily Croke, are named after?”
Croke confirmed with a smile and a nod. “Yes.” Jennings responded with a simple, stunned: “Wow.”
The internet, however, had more to say.
The show’s Instagram caption hyped it up with: “Just her luck! Emily has a familial tie to her Final Jeopardy! clue.” But fans were immediately divided.
Some were amazed, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime twist. “The most amazing coincidence in the history of Jeopardy!” one fan raved. Another praised her smarts: “That’s how you win trivia — know things others don’t!”
But others weren’t buying it. “This is rigged,” one critic wrote. “She should be disqualified,” another added. Some questioned how any contestant not related to the Folgers could’ve possibly known the answer.
“How is anyone supposed to deduce that?” one viewer asked. “Is there even a Folger library at Vassar?”
Despite the backlash, Emily will return for another game — and now she has more than luck and brains on her side… she’s got a full-blown controversy following her.
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