Jeopardy! is notable for multiple milestones, including its current host, Ken Jennings, being one of the show’s biggest champions. But its latest milestone has created some unwanted controversy. Recent champion Jason Singer wound up earning the status four years after his wife Susan McMillan, which led multiple news outlets to declare them the first married couple who became Jepoardy! champions. That didn’t sit well with another champion, Kristin Sausville — especially since she and her husband Justin had won prior to Singer & McMillain. Sausville took to Facebook to express her frustration:
“There is something really surreal and honestly kind of sinister in watching part of yourself be erased in real time…Maybe you’ve seen an article in the past day or two about how one of the Jeopardy! contestants last night had a wife who was a J! champion, and was hoping he would win so they could be the first married champions in J! history. Well. If you’re friends with me, you’re probably aware that both Justin and I won; Justin in 2011 and me in 2015.”
Sausville’s frustration also spread to other champions, who quickly pointed out that other married couples have won at Jeopardy!. This only shows that some of the news sites proclaiming Singer and McMillian Jeopardy!‘s first married couple should have done their research.
Other Married Couples Became ‘Jeopardy!’ Champions
In her Facebook post, Kristin Sausville listed other married couples who became Jeopardy! champions, including David Rigsby and Ryan Alley. Rigsby would back her up: “There have been at least a half-dozen. Simple Internet search would reveal that.” Sausville listed another married couple with Dan Pawson and Andrea Saenz, yet it seems like finding love after winning Jeopardy! turns out to be a recurring element. Former champion Amy Schneider married her partner Genevieve Davis in 2022, and Roger Craig was a guest at this year’s Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament, where he revealed that he reconnected with and married his fellow champion, Julia Collins. Looking back at this long history of love and victory, it’s not hard to see why Sausville was so irritated by the incorrect reporting.
Jason Singer’s Cleared Up the Confusion About His ‘Jeopardy!’ Win’
Despite Jason Singer being hailed as the first married man to win Jeopardy!, he recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly to clear the air. “I love ‘Jeopardy!’ and the people who love and participate in ‘Jeopardy!’ and would never want to hurt them or diminish their accomplishments in any way,” he said, while also giving credit to Kristin Sausville and the rest of Jeopardy!‘s married champions. A representative for Jeopardy also revealed that the show does not keep records of players’ marital statuses, which might explain why other sites were quick to name Singer and Susan McMillan as the first married couple. Still, it’s a reminder that journalists have a responsibility to conduct thorough research when constructing a story, especially when covering a game show that relies on knowledge. Despite this mix-up, it’s hardly the first time that Jeopardy! has caused an uproar in the news, and it probably won’t be the last.