CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA: 'Jeopardy!' is speeding up to the end of its turbulent but equally fun Season 39. Probably the Wednesday, July 12 installment was one of the more entertaining episodes in the current season of the show as the mood was largely different, thanks to the amusing contestants.
Notably, Ittai Sopher became the champ, taking the crown from Justin White. He will face two new contestants, Kathy Barkey, an Engineer from Kingston, New York, and Dennis Leung, Biotech Scientist from Half Moon Bay, California, in the next episode.
Who is Ittai Sopher?
Sopher became a TV personality before he even joined the podium on the Alex Trebek Stage. His 'Jeopardy!' profile says that he is a digital journalist and news producer from New Orleans, Louisiana. His LinkedIn profile reveals that he is currently working for WWL- TV Channel 4 as a news producer. Moreover, he has previously worked in similar positions related to news reporting and other media duties, which included "working with teams on three television news stations, a Los Angeles radio station, two campus newspapers, and an academic journal," as per the page.
Sopher studied for his undergrads at Pitzer College and received his degree in Political Studies. He later did a Master's from the University of Arizona with a degree in Journalism, graduating in 2023, making him one of the younger contestants on the show. He also took part in an exchange program at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, where he studied Latin American Politics.
How did Ittai Sopher become the 'Jeopardy!' champ?
This time around, The Final Jeopardy round seemed to be rather an easy guess for the contestants as all three of them got the correct answer. The clue was from the category Name's the Same and read, "A 1931 Charlie Chaplin film and a West Coat bookstore open since 1953 both bear this name." All three contenders, returning champ White, Sopher, and Mia McGill, answered "City Lights," which was correct. However, it was the wagering strategy that played a crucial role in Sopher's win, as the price put by a player on their answer is known to affect their fate in the game. Sopher managed to wager the appropriate amount by adding $5,801 to his existing $6,600. Interestingly, he barely got the first place as McGill was also able to garner $12,200, just $200 shy of Sopher's final amount.
