A new Jeopardy! top contender has revealed his family tie to the game, just days after the super champion Harrison Whitaker lost
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A Jeopardy! contestant has revealed his celebrity tie(Image: ABC via Getty Images)
A new Jeopardy! contestant stepped into the spotlight this week and made an immediate impression due to his family ties.
Ron LaLonde, a medical physicist from Pennsylvania, claimed a victory on Wednesday’s episode after defeating two-day champion Libby Jones, who had previously beaten super champion Harrison Whitaker. LaLonde later revealed he’s the twin brother of Ray LaLonde, one of the show’s most successful players in Jeopardy! history.
Ray LaLonde, who earned $386,400 across 13 games in 2022, ranks 13th on The Jeopardy! Fan’s list. His surprise appearance in the studio audience on Wednesday added a twist to the episode that fans weren’t expecting. During contestant interviews, host Ken Jennings asked Ron to confirm he wasn’t Ray in disguise. “Ray’s actually in the audience,” Ron said, pointing toward his twin, who waved back with a smile.
Jennings greeted the former champ and joked that the resemblance was uncanny. Ron added, “Honestly, our brothers and sisters are even smarter than us. They’d crush it on this show.”
Jones, a recruiter from Florida, entered the game on a hot streak after toppling fan-favorite Harrison Whitaker on December 1. Her $70,802 in winnings across two games included one runaway victory.
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Jeopardy! champion Ray Lalonde won over $350,000 in 2022(Image: Getty)
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By Wednesday, she had the second-highest single-day score of the season, behind Whitaker himself, according to Jennings.
In the opening round, LaLonde stayed close behind Jones.
When he uncovered the game’s first Daily Double with $1,800, he made it a true Daily Double.
The “Literature” clue quoted a line from a play, “‘In this island we arrived, and here have I, thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit than other princes can.’” LaLonde correctly responded, “What is The Tempest?” doubling his score to $3,600.
Jones, however, held onto the lead going into the break. She then uncovered the first Daily Double in Double Jeopardy, holding $12,800.
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Ray and Ron LaLonde are twin brothers(Image: Instagram)
She wagered $4,000 on an “African Geography” clue, “This small neighbor of Nigeria borders a bight (or bay) of the same name.”
Her guess, “What is Guinea?” was incorrect. The correct answer was Benin.
Despite the setback, Jones remained ahead through most of the round.
Murphy, a freelance transcript editor from Ontario, briefly gained ground and found the second Daily Double.
With $3,400, she wagered $2,600 on a “Double Meanings” clue, “Something fitted to a horse, or being under control for use, like the Sun’s energy.” She answered “What is saddled?” but the correct response was “What is harness?” dropping her score below zero and knocking her out of Final Jeopardy.
Jones led with $15,200 entering Final Jeopardy.
LaLonde had $11,200. The final clue, under the category Monuments and Memorials, read, “In NYC’s cathedral of St. John the Divine, an alcove with memorials to Hart Crane, Sylvia Plath & 54 others is the ‘American’ this.”
Jones responded with “What is poet?” Her answer was ruled incomplete, and she lost $7,201, falling to $7,999. LaLonde correctly answered “What is Poet’s Corner?” and wagered $4,001, finishing with $15,201 and the win.
His victory not only ended Jones’ streak, but added a new chapter to the LaLonde family’s trivia legacy.
Ron LaLonde will return to defend his title on Thursday’s episode.
Jeopardy! airs weekdays at 7 PM PST.
