Who won 'Jeopardy!' on July 25, 2023? Julie Sisson dethrones Taylor Clagett in intense episode

Julie Sisson was able to take over the crown after impressive gameplay where she remained close behind her opponents throughout the game
PUBLISHED JUL 26, 2023
Julie Sisson reached the 'Jeopardy!' stage because of her issues with insomnia (Jeopardy!/ABC, Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)
Julie Sisson reached the 'Jeopardy!' stage because of her issues with insomnia (Jeopardy!/ABC, Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA: With Season 39 coming to an end soon, 'Jeopardy!' has crowned another brand new champ in tonight's episode. Julie Sisson managed to take over the title with her impressive gameplay as two-day champ Taylor Clagett failed to defend it. 

Sisson faced the returning champ Clagett and a psychologist resident from Portland Oregon named Andrew Knowles. In the next episode, she will be competing for the title of 'Jeopardy!' champ again with Lucas Partridge, a school counselor from Las Vegas, Nevada, and Alex Muhler, a policy analyst from Oakland, California. 

Who is Julie Sisson?

Sisson's 'Jeopardy!' profile lists her as a Library Circulation Assistant from Everett, Washington. She is a 49-year-old who has been working at the Evergreen branch of Everett Public Library since 2008. Sisson has a wife named Debbie Barbay. She received her college education from Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri, which is a private college for women. 


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Julie Sisson (@julieplaid)


 

Sisson has an active Instagram account where she often shares pictures of her latest hobbies which range from knitting to baking, solving big puzzles, and of course, reading. According to Herald Net, she revealed that she reached the Alex Trebek stage because of her issues with insomnia. While she couldn't sleep one night, Sisson decided to take up the Anytime Test that has to be taken if you wish to become a contestant on 'Jeopardy!'. 

Contestants during the Final Jeopardy round tonight (Jeopardy!/ABC)
Contestants during the Final Jeopardy round tonight (Jeopardy!/ABC)

How did Julie Sisson win?

Sisson took dominance behind the podium from the very start of the first round of clues. Although she wasn't in the lead when moving into the final round, she managed to keep the gap small, with Clagett holding $9,700 while she held $8,200. It was because of her good wager that she managed to come out as the winner of the night even when her fellow contestants more or less knew the answer.

The Final Jeopardy clue was from the category Compound Word Origins and said: "This compound word meant an astronomical object of exceptional brightness in 1910; it was soon applied to actors and athletes." The correct answer was "superstar" and both Knowles and Sisson were able to put it down, but Knowles made quite a small wager which didn't affect his score much. Clagett, on the other hand, only answered with "star," presumably forgetting that the question asked for a compound word. He lost a major amount because of his wager, landing him in the third spot. Sisson's final winnings added up to $11,210.

Final Jeopardy clue for tonight (Jeopardy!/ABC)
Final Jeopardy clue for tonight (Jeopardy!/ABC)
RELATED TOPICS JEOPARDY!

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Don Heck, the eight-episode series is scheduled to premiere on Tuesday, January 27.
7 hours ago
'Finding Her Edge' Season 1 ends on a cliffhanger, with fans awaiting a second season, and here's everything we know about it.
9 hours ago
Hunter Doohan teases an earlier production start for ‘Wednesday’ Season 3, hinting the Netflix hit could return sooner than expected
9 hours ago
Based on the 1989 show, 'Matlock' follows the sharp and seasoned lawyer Madeline Matlock, who joins a law firm with a secret motive
12 hours ago
Following the midseason finale cliffhanger, 'Tracker' Season 3 is all set to make a comeback on March 1
14 hours ago
At the time of writing, there is no official confirmation on 'Steal' Season 2 from Prime Video
1 day ago
'Fallout' Season 2 Episode 6 completely changes the meaning of ‘bottle caps’ in way we could've never imagined
1 day ago
First-look images from ‘Invincible’ Season 4 tease brutal new villains, familiar heroes, and a March 2026 return that raises the stakes fast.
1 day ago
A shocking mid-episode transformation rewrites 'The Beauty', quietly replacing Rebecca Hall, and changing the series' direction almost instantly
1 day ago
Set to premiere on January 26, 'American Idol' will be hosted by Ryan Seacrest, along with judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie
1 day ago