Who won ‘Jeopardy!’ tonight? Adam Remsen runs into trouble with three failed Daily Doubles
Adam Remsen returned for his fourth game on Wednesday's episode of 'Jeopardy!' He faced off against Carolyn Bavington, an actuary originally from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and Matt Fink, a lawyer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Remsen had a tough time this episode and at one point even had a negative account. Despite some massive setbacks, the theater producer ensured that he never fell out of contention with his strong performance. Bavington and Fink also put their best foot forward. Remsen started off the proceedings poorly. He found the first Daily Double (DD) on the first clue worth $800. The DD was from the category 'International Borders,' and the clue read, "The Lateran Treaty of 1929 set the border between these 2 states."
According to the rules, when a contestant has no money in their account, they can wager up to $1,000. Remsen hence decided to bet $1,000 and answered with, "What are Latvia and Lithuania?" which was incorrect. This mishap turned his account negative. The returning champion did not dwell upon the blow and tried to regain his footing through correct responses in other clues. Bavington gave him tough competition and prevailed until the first commercial break. The actuary held the top position after the 15th clue with $4,000; Remsen followed closely behind with $2,800, while Fink had garnered $1,800.
Remsen made a startling comeback in the second part of 'Jeopardy!'. By the end of the first round, he had toppled the actuary and gained first place with $6,200. Bavington followed with $4,200, while Fink further deteriorated with $400. The returning champion also started things for the 'Double Jeopardy' (DJ) by buzzing in on the clue from the category '1-Syllable Entertainment' worth $1,600. The clue read, "Post-Super Bowl in 2007, the N.Y. Times wrote, 'Just when it seemed time to give up on … the halftime show, along comes' this performer." The Memphis native answered "Prince," which was correct, and took his winnings to $7,800.
Get in, loser. We're going to the Milky Way. pic.twitter.com/pzba7xKmec
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) June 18, 2026
The DD gods were a bit too aligned in Remsen's favor, as he found the second one during the 11th pick. The DD belonged to the category 'Essays,' and its clue read, "His collection The Purple Decades includes the essay 'The Me Decade & the Third Great Awakening.'" Remsen was not a fan and said, "I don't love this category. Um, $2,000, please." His answer, "Who is Leary?" was incorrect, and he dropped down to $10,200. Just two clues later, Remsen found the third DD and bet $1,000. The DD was from the category 'National Holidays,' and the clue read, "March 17 is St. Patrick's Day in Ireland; across the channel in Scotland, November 30 is this." Seeing Remsen's unfortunate DD run, Jennings joked, "We know you don't like essays, Adam; how do you feel about national holidays?" Though Remsen confessed to loving them, his answer, "What is St. George's Day?" was incorrect. This one brought him down to $11,200.
Even though he faltered on all DDs, his 30 correct responses in other clues ensured a runaway lead going into the 'Final Jeopardy' (FJ). He held $20,000 going into the last round while Bavington had $5,000 and Fink had $400. The FJ was from the category 'TV Personalities,' and its clue read, "Perhaps destined for success, she has 1st & last names that are associated with the Hindu goddess of prosperity & good fortune." Both Bavington and Fink provided the correct response, "Who is Padma Lakshmi?" Fink bet all he had and walked out with $800; Bavington wagered nothing, so her winnings stayed the same. Remsen lost $5,000 as he did not write anything, but won the game with $15,000. He will return to stake his claim on 'Tournament of Champions' on Thursday.
