“Jeopardy!” fans were furious with ABC after the network prematurely revealed the winner of the “Celebrity” franchise during the finale.
During Tuesday’s episode, a commercial revealed contestant Lisa Ann Walter would be appearing as a guest on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” which led many to theorize that she would be taking home the trophy.
Several fans shared their dismay with the network on social media.
“@ABCNetwork Thanks for the spoiler on the Celebrity Jeopardy winner with the in-show pop up ad for Jimmy Kimmel’s guest Lisa Ann Walter 20 seconds into the tournament final,” tweeted one viewer.
“@CelebJeopardy not cool. Right at the beginning of the final there was a commercial scroll saying that champion Lisa Ann would be on Kimmel. Not cool,” added another.
“Since Lisa Ann Walter is on @jimmykimmel tonight, is it safe to say she won? I don’t want to assume or spoil anything. #CelebrityJeopardy,” wrote a third person.
“Maybe it really is just a coincidence, but it feels pretty s–ty of ABC to promote that one of the contestants in Celebrity Jeopardy championship is going to be on Kimmel later that night. Definitely felt like a spoiler when I saw that,” said another agitated viewer.
The “Parent Trap” star, 60, was initially trailing behind Katie Nolan and Mo Rocca after the Double and Triple Jeopardy rounds.
However, Walter made a comeback after she answered the Final Jeopardy clue, which read, “Many mystery fans blame ‘The Door,’ a 1930 Mary Roberts Rinehart novel in which a servant kills a nurse, for this four-word cliche.”
The “Abbott Elementary” star answered, “What is The Butler Did It?” after betting almost her entire amount.
“I was up with those guys at the beginning, but then I fell behind because my buzzer thumb was just not working,” she told host Jimmy Kimmel during her appearance.
“I knew all the classic composers, I knew every one, I just couldn’t get in. So I was behind. One of them was gonna win, absolutely, I had no chance.”
She ultimately won the game with a total of $27,500, while Nolan and Rocca’s final wagers brought their totals down to $0 and $1,100, respectively.
Walter also took home $1 million for the Entertainment Community Fund.
