James Holzhauer, a "Jeopardy!" legend, shined with wit in the show's latest season. The premiere of "Jeopardy! Masters," featuring top champions, showcased his humor.
In a spelling challenge, Holzhauer was asked to spell a botanist's last name, doubling as a flower or a shade of reddish-purple. He nailed it with "fuchsia."
Faced with spelling "Fuchsia" on air, he carefully pronounced, "What is F - U - C," then paused dramatically. He completed with a smirk, "H - S - I - A."
His playful hesitation over the fourth letter amused everyone, including host Ken Jennings, who confirmed the correct answer. Holzhauer joked, "Gotta be careful with that fourth letter," causing laughter among the audience and co-contestants Yogesh Raut and Amy Schneider.
Social media loved his quip, with users expressing their amusement on Instagram. One user wrote, "I laughed [at] that one I can't stop [laughing at] what James said. Haha!!!"
Another revelation from the episode had viewers reflecting on their own spelling errors. One viewer admitted, "Today I learned I’ve been spelled fuschia wrong my whole life."
Later in the episode, as Holzhauer was introduced, Jennings called him the "final boss" of the tournament. When asked what he meant, Holzhauer responded with a deadpan, "I'm the main event."
The audience roared with laughter. Jennings quipped, "We've got five openers, and then it's you." Holzhauer playfully replied, "You've beaten the Goombas. Now it's time to beat Bowser," referencing popular video game characters.
Despite the fun, Holzhauer placed second in Wednesday's episode. The competition continues next Monday, and he remains a formidable contender.
Notably, Holzhauer is one of the highest-earning game show contestants in America. His record includes a 32-game winning streak on regular "Jeopardy!" and victory in the 2019 Tournament of Champions.