Who won Jeopardy! tonight? May 1, 2025, Thursday

Jeopardy! is one of the most famous and longest-running game shows in the United States. The May 1, 2025 episode turned out to be quite exciting, due to the contestants' great performances. In the game that night, there was a close race, and the competitors fought it out over several rounds. But there could only be one winner when the last answer was given.

The winner tonight was Ben Ganger, a data analyst from Goshen, Indiana. Ben was in a strong lead going into the last round and kept that lead through Final Jeopardy. He made much more money because he got the right answer in the last round. He now has a three-day total of $76,415, which makes it more likely that he will get another chance at the game's coveted championship.

Fans love Jeopardy! due to its hard questions and a unique format where contestants have to answer in the form of a question. Jeopardy! has become a beloved mainstay on TV largely for this format. As always, this episode stood out because it had trivia, strategy, and tense competition.

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Jeopardy! episode highlights, May 1, 2025, Thursday

Jeopardy round

There were categories like State Song Lyrics, A Real Pain, and English As A Third Language in the first round of the night. Ben started off by getting six answers right, but it wasn't easy. Scott Summers, a librarian from Apex, North Carolina, got a Daily Double question wrong early in the game, which put him behind.

At the first break, the scores were as follows:

• Ben: $5,000
• Julie: $0
• Scott: -$800

Julie Holt, a Latin teacher from Knoxville, Tennessee, fought back by answering seven questions correctly in the second half of the Jeopardy! round. This momentum helped her close the gap, but she still faced a tough challenge to overcome Ben’s dominant performance.

After the Jeopardy round, the statistics were as follows:

• Ben: 10 correct, two incorrect
• Julie: 10 correct, two incorrect
• Scott: 6 correct, four incorrect

The scores after the Jeopardy! round were:

• Ben: $6,200
• Julie: $2,800
• Scott: $0

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Double Jeopardy round

The second round of Double Jeopardy had questions about French History, The Riches Of The Emersonian Mind, and Alliterative America. Ben got a very important $6,000 from a Daily Double this round, which made his lead even bigger. Even though Ben made a small mistake with another Daily Double question, he kept up his good work and finished with 13 correct answers.

The stats for the Double Jeopardy round were:

• Ben: 24 correct, six incorrect
• Julie: 13 correct, three incorrect
• Scott: 12 correct, five incorrect

There was little room for error with only 30 unplayed clues this season. Ben was clearly in control, with the scores going into the Final Jeopardy round as follows:

• Ben: $24,600
• Julie: $3,200
• Scott: $4,000

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Final Jeopardy Round

The last clue of the day was in The Stage category. The question was about a well-known theater company whose 34-year run off-Broadway ended. Julie and Ben provided the correct answer, "Blue Man Group," but Scott's incorrect answer, "Little Shop of Horrors," put him behind the others.

The clue was:

Their show ended its off-Broadway run in 2025, after 34 years, 17,800 shows & 82,150 gallons of paint

The correct response is:

Who are the Blue Man Group?

The final scores were:

• Julie: $3,200 + $3,200 = $6,400
• Scott: $4,000 – $2,401 = $1,599
• Ben: $24,600 + $10,000 = $34,600

Ben’s total earnings of $34,600 secured him a big win. He will return for his fourth appearance tomorrow.

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Tonight's Jeopardy! contestant profiles

Scott Summers

Scott Summers, a librarian from Apex, North Carolina, had a strong start in the game, though he struggled to maintain his lead. After an incorrect response to the Daily Double, he found himself behind. While he made a valiant effort, including correctly answering several tough clues, Scott couldn’t catch up to Ben in the game's final moments.

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Julie Holt

Julie Holt, a Latin teacher from Knoxville, Tennessee, was a tough opponent. During the second half of Jeopardy!, she showed how tough she was by getting seven right answers. Julie was in a strong position to win because she was able to close the gap, but her wrong answer on Final Jeopardy kept her from beating Ben.

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Ben Ganger

The night's top performer was Ben Ganger, a data analyst from Goshen, Indiana. Ben won Final Jeopardy by giving the right answer. He was ahead after both rounds. His winning $76,415 in three days shows how consistent and good he has been at the game. Now that he has another win, he will try to keep things going in the next episode.

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How is Jeopardy! different from regular game shows

Compared to other traditional game shows, Jeopardy! has a format that holds its subtlety in nature. The most important difference is that contestants have to answer in the form of a question. This simple but effective twist adds another level of strategy because people have to think quickly and be clear in how they say things.

There are also three rounds in Jeopardy! They are Jeopardy!, Double Jeopardy!, and Final Jeopardy. There are different ways to test contestants' knowledge in each round.

For instance, on Double Jeopardy, the Daily Double lets players bet money on a single question, which makes it a high-risk, high-reward chance. The way Jeopardy! is set up makes it different from many other game shows because it rewards both knowledge and strategy.

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Jeopardy! Game recap – Thursday, May 1, 2025

Jeopardy round:

Categories: State Song Lyrics; A Real Pain; English As A Third Language; Famous Names; Movie Easter Eggs; For Rent

Ben’s performance:

• 6 correct responses
• Leading after 15 clues with a significant lead following Scott’s incorrect Daily Double

Scores after first break:

• Ben: $5,000
• Julie: $0
• Scott: -$800

Statistics at the first break (15 clues):

• Ben: 6 correct, zero incorrect
• Julie: 3 correct, two incorrect
• Scott: 3 correct, three incorrect

Interviews:

• Scott: Named a Library Journal “Mover and Shaker” in 2024
• Julie: Receives gnomes from her students
• Ben: Met his wife Alex in middle school and tried unsuccessfully to crash her 8th-grade birthday party

Julie’s comeback:

• Julie cut into Ben’s lead by answering seven correct clues in the second half of the round

Statistics after the Jeopardy round:

• Ben: 10 correct, two incorrect
• Julie: 10 correct, two incorrect
• Scott: 6 correct, four incorrect

Scores after Jeopardy Round:

• Ben: $6,200
• Julie: $2,800
• Scott: $0

Double Jeopardy Round:

• Categories: French History; The Riches Of The Emersonian Mind; Alliterative America; Cloud-Pourri; Joking Around; Ends With “End”

Ben’s performance:

• Picked up $6,000 on DD2
• Despite an incorrect DD3, cruised to a runaway lead with 13 clues to play

Statistics after Double Jeopardy:

• Ben: 24 correct, six incorrect
• Scott: 12 correct, five incorrect
• Julie: 13 correct, three incorrect
• Total number of unplayed clues this season: 30 (0 today)

Scores going into Final Jeopardy:

• Ben: $24,600
• Scott: $4,000
• Julie: $3,200

Final Jeopardy Results:

Julie:

• Correct response: “Blue Man Group”
• Final score: $3,200 + $3,200 = $6,400

Scott:

• Incorrect response: “Little Shop of Horrors?”
• Final score: $4,000 - $2,401 = $1,599

Ben:

• Correct response: “The Blue Man Group”
• Final score: $24,600 + $10,000 = $34,600
• 3-day total: $76,415

Ben's win: He’ll go for #4 tomorrow!

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The winner of tonight's episode of Jeopardy! was Ben Ganger, who scored $34,600, adding to his already impressive three-day total of $76,415. Even though his opponents, Julie Holt and Scott Summers, worked hard, Ben kept his lead the whole game. His success shows that he is reliable and smart.

People are eagerly anticipating whether he can continue his winning streak as he gets ready for his fourth appearance tomorrow. The contestants' skills are shown off on Jeopardy!, which makes it one of the most exciting and intellectually stimulating TV shows.