Celebrity Jeopardy! has been facing a significant decline in viewership and fan criticism after the recent premiere of its third season. Hosted by Ken Jennings, the game show has experienced a drop of over a million viewers since its debut episode on January 8, 2025. The show’s ratings have steadily decreased, with some fans blaming the casting choices for the decline.
The Contestant Choices Backlash
The premiere episode brought in 3.03 million viewers, featuring actor Max Greenfield, actress Camilla Luddington, and comedian W. Kamau Bell. However, the following episodes saw a steady dip in viewership. The January 15 episode brought in 2.65 million viewers, while the January 22 episode dropped even further to 2.52 million viewers. By the January 29 episode, the numbers were at their lowest of the season, with only 1.83 million viewers tuning in to watch Roy Wood Jr., Brian Jordan Alvarez, and Phoebe Robinson compete.
One of the major points of contention among viewers has been the choice of contestants this season. Many fans have taken to social media to express their disappointment, calling out the show for casting “unknown” celebrities. One viewer on Instagram wrote, “Neil is the only ‘celebrity’ this season I’ve heard of.” Others were more critical, commenting, “These are celebrities???” and “‘Celebrity’ Jeopardy! is used a bit loosely here.”
Brian Jordan Alvarez’s Allegations
Another factor contributing to the backlash was the casting of actor and comedian Brian Jordan Alvarez, who faced sexual assault allegations before his appearance on the show. In December 2024, Alvarez was accused of assault by his former co-star Joe Ebling, who claimed the actor assaulted him during the filming of a web series in 2016. Although Alvarez’s lawyer denied the allegations and said Ebling had verbally consented to the scene, many viewers were upset to see him on Celebrity Jeopardy! Some fans voiced their disappointment on social media, with one commenting, “Disappointed to see Brian Jordan Alvarez on here.”
The drop in ratings has raised concerns, especially in light of the strong performance of Wheel of Fortune with its new host, Ryan Seacrest. During the premiere week of Wheel of Fortune in September 2024, the show outperformed Jeopardy! with 8.31 million viewers compared to Jeopardy!’s 7.11 million. With Seacrest bringing fresh energy to Wheel of Fortune, the competition between the two iconic game shows is heating up.
Celebrity Jeopardy! is now facing the challenge of bouncing back from these declines in viewership and public backlash. The show’s producers may need to consider rethinking their casting choices to attract a broader audience and restore interest in the show. If they don’t make adjustments soon, they may risk losing even more viewers to their competition. The outcome of this season will likely determine the future direction of Celebrity Jeopardy! and whether it can regain the popularity it once had.
