Jeopardy! season 42 game 65 brought together three contestants with diverse professional and personal backgrounds.
The episode featured Margaret Dunlap, a writer from Burbank, California; Youssef Shareef, a cashier originally from Houston, Texas; and Ron Lalonde, a medical physicist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who entered as a two-day champion with winnings of $35,601.
The game included categories such as WE 5 KINGS, REPURPOSING, COMPOSE YOURSELF!, ALL KINDS OF CRUMMY, U.S. MUSEUMS, and LET’S GIVE STAR WARS A HAND.
The episode aired on December 5, 2025, and detailed the gameplay, contestant scores, and performance through Jeopardy!, Double Jeopardy!, and Final Jeopardy! rounds.
Meet the Game 65 contestants of Jeopardy! season 42
Ron Lalonde
According to TV Regular, Ron Lalonde is the Chief Physicist at UPMC Shadyside Hospital and also a faculty member in the University of Pittsburgh Department of Radiation Oncology.
He manages the day-to-day operations in the radiation oncology physics department, oversees the various training programs, and actively participates in research throughout the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center network.
Lalonde previously worked on early radiation therapy technologies at NOMOS Corporation, where he contributed to development projects involving IMRT systems and image-guided treatment platforms.
His academic background includes a PhD in Medical Biophysics from the University of Toronto, as well as an MSc and BSc from the University of Waterloo.
Lalonde is the identical twin of Jeopardy! champion Ray Lalonde. His Jeopardy! appearance was filmed with family present, and his episode continued his run as a returning player.
Margaret Dunlap
Margaret Dunlap is a writer based in Burbank, California, according to TV Regular.
Her artistic achievements span across television writing and producing for series like The Middleman, Eureka, and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
She has been instrumental in the development of digital and serialized storytelling projects such as The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Welcome to Sanditon, and Bookburners.
Dunlap is equally engaged in writing fiction for such outlets as Uncanny Magazine, The Deadlands, and Shimmer.
Besides, she is active on the internet through her website and various social media platforms where she continually provides writing project and serialized narrative updates.
Her Goodreads work is also notable with detailed reading logs and involvement in long-term reading challenges. Dunlap’s Jeopardy! episode was broadcasted on December 5, 2025.
Youssef Shareef
Youssef Shareef is a cashier originally from Houston, Texas. At the time of the episode, he was twenty years old and a member of the JHS Class of 2023.
His professional role involves customer service, financial transactions, and multitasking responsibilities. Shareef uses he/they pronouns.
His background represents early career experience combined with an interest in participating in televised trivia. His appearance on Jeopardy! was one of his first nationally televised competitive events.
Game recap
The first Daily Double appeared in the LET’S GIVE STAR WARS A HAND category for $400, where Ron Lalonde lost $1,000.
Scores at the first break were Ron $2,600, Youssef $2,800, and Margaret $1,600. At the end of the Jeopardy! round, Ron led with $4,000, followed by Youssef with $4,800 and Margaret with $3,000.
During Double Jeopardy!, Lalonde found all three Daily Doubles. A correct wager in Chemistry increased his score to $7,200.
A miss on a Stock Symbols clue reduced him to $17,200 late in the round, with Youssef at $8,400 and Margaret at $7,800 entering Final Jeopardy!.
Only Margaret responded correctly in the final round, while Lalonde’s wager of $300 secured his win at $16,900. Final standings were Ron $16,900, Youssef $0, and Margaret $8,401.
Stay tuned for more updates.
Jeopardy! (Image via jeopardy.com)