Celebrity Jeopardy! Shocks with a Delightful Surprise Victory During its First Show

Celebrity Jeopardy! kicked off last night with Mayim Bialik officially taking her place as host, and the evening took more than a few unexpected twists and turns. 

Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Ego Nwodim (Saturday Night Live), and Andy Richter (Late Night with Conan O'Brien) began the night with the first of nine quarterfinal games, each competing for the charity of their choice. 

Richter started strong, reminding viewers of his strong performance on the show back in 2009. For the first time ever, the show featured Triple Jeopardy, and as the group entered Final Jeopardy, it seemed as though it was Richter's to lose, as he'd racked up $21,100. Liu had just $11,600 in winnings, while Nwodim had $10,000.

The final clue, from the category "Landlocked Countries", was "the world's smallest landlocked country in both area and population." Nwodim unfortunately was knocked back to $0 after answering "Togo", and Liu was delighted when he discovered he'd correctly answered "Vatican City" and brought his winnings up to $23,200. 

When Richter's answer, "Lichtenstein", was shown to be incorrect, losing him $2,100, Liu stunned everyone with his victory - even himself. "I don't think anybody was expecting that! Oh my God!" said a shocked Liu. "What?!" 

.@SimuLiu’s reaction to winning Celebrity Jeopardy is everything pic.twitter.com/e2j1Mi8RTX

— The RepresentASIAN Project™ (@repasianproject) September 26, 2022

Liu will next compete in the Semifinals. 

Celebrity Jeopardy! airs Sundays at 8/7c on ABC.

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Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. She was previously a reporter/producer at Decider and is a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.