Jeopardy! contestants were left having to shake it off after a Taylor Swift question left them feeling bad blood for the pop queen.
On Thursday’s episode, Ben Chan, Yogesh Raut, and Troy Meyer missed a $400 clue about the 34-year-old singer in the category “Songs of Youth.”
The prompt given by host Ken Jennings surely had fans of the hitmaker on the edge of their seats. “Inspired by her bestie,” Jennings began, “Tay Tay sang when ‘somebody tells you they love you’ at this title age ‘you’re gonna believe them.'”
Meyer from Tampa Bay, Florida, a music executive, guessed 17. On the other hand, Raut, a psychologist from Vancouver, Washington, guessed 22.
The accurate response was “Fifteen,” the title of Swift’s country-pop song on her second studio album, Fearless, released in 2008.
Legend has it that “Fifteen” drew inspiration from Swift’s high school best friend, Abigail Anderson. Anderson went through a difficult breakup with her boyfriend when both she and Swift were 15 years old. Of course, Tay Tay had no problem using her friend’s pain to create a tune.
The Jeopardy! contestants instantly sensed that the Taylor Swift flub might garner some attention. “We’re gonna get killed for that,” Meyer mused through nervous chuckles.
The Taylor Swift Question Was the Only ‘Triple-stumper’ on ‘Jeopardy!’ Episode
The Taylor Swift clue stood out as the sole “triple-stumper” in Thursday’s episode. Meyer, Raut, and Chan, hailing from Green Bay, Wisconsin, are vying for the $250,000 prize in the best-of-seven finals.
Leading the competition is Chan, a nine-time champion, holding two wins, while Meyer, a six-time champion, and Raut, a three-time champion, have each secured one victory.
Following all three champions’ failure to answer the question, Jeopardy! enthusiasts turned to social media to convey their astonishment. “The Swifties about to descend on the Alex Trebek Stage,” one fan joked on X.
“Found a common weakness among the 3 finalists in the @Jeopardy Tournament of Champions… @taylorswift13,” another viewer chimed in.
“Yes #Jeopardy! players, Twitter is going to rip you apart for not knowing 15 by Taylor Swift,” a potential Swiftie threatened. “The only wrong response in the entire last #Jeopardy episode is of a Tay Tay song. Don’t let the Swifties know about this…,” another fan warned.
However, to date, all of the contestants are safe and sound. Taylor Swift, mercy be thy name.