ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

'Jeopardy' player left embarrassed after Ken Jennings showed his picture as a child on the show

The former kids champion, Skyler Hornback knew what was coming.
PUBLISHED JUL 14, 2025
Screenshots showing Ken Jennings and the player's reaction to seeing his 12 years old picture (Cover image source: YouTube/Jeopardy!)
Screenshots showing Ken Jennings and the player's reaction to seeing his 12 years old picture (Cover image source: YouTube/Jeopardy!)

"Jeopardy!" contestants stand out for sharing stories about their journeys, as it allows fans to connect with them. But one player was embarrassed after the show's host, Ken Jennings, pulled out a picture from his first appearance on the show, from 12 years ago. Former "Kids Week" champion, Skyler Hornback, made his comeback to the show in the invitational "Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions" featuring past winners. During the introductions, Jennings brought up Hornback's first win on the show left him saying, "Oh man! I knew you were going to do that."

Screenshots showing Jennings talking about the photo and the player's reaction to it (Image source: YouTube/Jeopardy!)
Screenshots showing Jennings talking about the photo and the player's reaction to it (Image source: YouTube/Jeopardy!)

Jennings and the players were chatting away during the introductions, where the host talked about their first stints on the show. Coming to Hornback, Jennings mentioned that he appeared on the show exactly 12 years ago, and it was really hard for the viewers to recognize him now.

Screenshots showing Jennings talking to Hornback (Image source: YouTube/Jeopardy!)
Screenshots showing Jennings talking to Hornback (Image source: YouTube/Jeopardy!)

He explained that Hornback, during the Kids Week, alongside Alex Trebek and won the game. "Let's take a look at Skyler, back in the day," the host said, pulling out the photograph showing a young and chubby Hornback with thick glasses and a wide smile at the podium. As soon as the photo came up on the screen, Hornback was thoroughly embarrassed. "I knew you were going to do that!" he said as he nodded at Jennings.

Screenshots shwoing Jennings and the old photo (Image source: YouTube/Jeopardy!)
Screenshots shwoing Jennings and the old photo (Image source: YouTube/Jeopardy!)

As it turns out, Hornback appeared on "Jeopardy!" exactly 12 years to the day after his first run. Back in 2013, Hornback took the game by storm and went into Final Jeopardy with a massive lead. In the final round of the show, he doubled with the "Civil War" category. Once Trebek read the clue, "Abraham Lincoln called this document, which took effect in 1863, a fit and necessary war measure," Hornback seemed to be ready with the answer.

Trebek mentioned that Hornback, who had a great night, had great knowledge about the Civil War and was going to take the win. He then revealed that the young champ had written the correct answer, "Emancipation Proclamation." He further added that he had even spelt everything correctly, and his massive wager of $30,000 took his total to a whopping $66,000.

After winning as a kid, Hornback shared that it had a great impact on his life, as people recognized him even years after winning the show. In an interview shared on the show's website, he shared that after the big win, he was invited to appear on local radio stations and television segments, as well. Furthermore, the money allowed him to buy his first vehicle at 16 and travel abroad to Greece and Italy during high school.

On his return during the Tournament of Champions, Hornback navigated the board of answers as best he could but failed to win the show this time. Nevertheless, he gave the fans a great moment to cherish the legacy of one of America's longest-running and most popular game shows on TV. 



 

More on Market Realist:

Pat Sajak and Alex Trebek once swapped shows and pulled off the greatest TV prank no one saw coming

Ken Jennings reveals how he felt during his first show as 'Jeopardy' host: 'I don't want to be here'

'Jeopardy' host Ken Jennings reveals what he really thinks of AI after losing to a supercomputer

RELATED TOPICS JEOPARDY
MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Harvey was sure tha the player, Darren didn't want to be on the show at all.
6 hours ago
The unexpected collaboration aims to solve a long-standing home surveillance issue.
8 hours ago
The co-founders of Y'all Sweet Tea blew away the Sharks with their incredible numbers.
1 day ago
From his lips to his bald head, Harvey has to defends all sort of jabs.
1 day ago
The woman who gifted the painting to the owners had earlier sold it to another dealer as she couldnt sleep at night.
3 days ago
When it came to naming something of Harvey they would want to touch, the players didn't hold back
3 days ago
Rick Harrison's go to expert warned him not to touch it with a "10 foot pole."
3 days ago
The massive manufacturer has been operational for more than a hundred years now.
4 days ago
While the player was overwhelmed with emotion, host, Drew Carey was left hanging for a handshake.
6 days ago
Turns out, the guest's father was the renowned artist, Demetrios Jameson.
6 days ago
While the player, Rodney Flippen took the loss on the chin, fans were left heartbroken.
7 days ago
Harvey was stunned to see that Lisa would risk her marriage to get the top answer.
7 days ago
The outbreak has been linked to four deaths, and 19 hospitalizations, according to the CDC.
7 days ago
The President and CEO of Walmart, Doug McMillion expressed that AI will "literally change every job."
Oct 1, 2025
While the seller was confident that the instrument was ever so valuable, Harrison begged to differ.
Oct 1, 2025
The 54th season of the show has begun with a brand-new game, but fans fear it could be rigged.
Sep 30, 2025
The guest had absolutely no idea that the Ching Dynasty snuff bottle could be worth so much.
Sep 30, 2025
While Corey Harrison tried his best, the seller had other plans and stuck to it.
Sep 28, 2025
Harvey warned the contestant that she may be in a situation she can't handle.
Sep 27, 2025
In the end, the expert adviced the guest to put the item on a pedestal for the future.
Sep 27, 2025