‘Jeopardy!’ Apologizes After Accepting A Wrong Answer For Jesus’ Birthplace
Popular trivia show Jeopardy! found itself in hot water recently after an error that was made during an episode that aired on Friday. Some viewers were angry after a controversial question regarding the location of the Church of Nativity, which is located in the city of Jesus Christ’s birthplace. Katie Needle, a former champion, submitted the answer Palestine, which at the time was considered to be incorrect, according to the New York Post.
The show deemed Israel to be the correct answer, as provided by another contestant, Jack McGuire. However, in no time, viewers were abuzz on social media to point out the error that was made. The correct birthplace of Jesus Christ is actually Bethlehem, which is in Palestine. Thus, Needle’s answer should have been accepted.
One Twitter user by the name of Bassem Nassir was particularly upset by the error and insists that though they have been a lifetime viewer, they will no longer watch the show, calling the mistake “completely unacceptable.”
The show issued an apology on Monday in which they recognized their mistake and claimed that this version of the show was never meant to air.
“In the process of taping this clue, ‘BUILT IN THE 300s A.D., THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY’ we became aware that the clue was flawed as written and that determining an acceptable response would be problematic. In accordance with our rules and in the interest of fairness, we voided the clue and threw it out. Unfortunately, through human error in post-production, the uncorrected version of the game was broadcast. We regret the error and we will make every effort to ensure this never happens again.”
In an effort to avoid controversy, the question was later changed to the “Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.”
The future of Jeopardy! as a whole remains unknown at this time, as longtime host Alex Trebek undergoes treatment to fight stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Trebek has been on the show for an incredible 36 years, and for many fans, it is hard to imagine someone else taking on his role. At this point, Trebek is still giving his all in his fight against cancer and remains positive about the future. Nevertheless, he has also acknowledged that his last day on the show may come sooner than he would like.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Trebek has already put some thought into his final episode and has said he only needs half a minute to say goodbye to the fans.
