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 / ECONOMY & WORK

'Jeopardy' contestant fails to decode clue about James Bond — but fans think it was 'confusing'

Two of the players got it right, and while the player who lost didn't mind, fans were not satisfied.
PUBLISHED JUL 17, 2025
Contestants Scott Riccardi, Ashley Curto, and Vince Carter on 'Jeopardy!' (Cover Image Source: YouTube| Jeopardy!)
Contestants Scott Riccardi, Ashley Curto, and Vince Carter on 'Jeopardy!' (Cover Image Source: YouTube| Jeopardy!)

Contestants and fans of "Jeopardy!" are usually well-versed in pop culture references, and trivia about history, sports, as well as current affairs. But sometimes, the clues tend to leave everyone puzzled. Something like that happened to Ashley Caval Curto, who was stumped by a clue about James Bond, which caused her winnings to decline from $7,400 to $4,200. The clue was, “The last 2 Best Song Oscar winners whose titles were the same name as the movie they were in had this man in the leading role.”

After 30 seconds ran out, Ken Jennings reached out to Curto, who had written down, “Who is Timothée Chalamet?” which turned out ot be incorrect. She was probably referring to Chalamet's movie "Dune," which won the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 2022. "It was going to be, I think? I'm afraid that's not it, Ashley," Jennings reacted. He then moved to Carter, who correctly wrote down, "Who is Daniel Craig?" since he got the James Bond reference. Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell won Best Original Song for the Bond movie "No Time to Die" in 2022, and Adele won the same for "Skyfall" in 2013. "What did you wager, Vince? -$11,001 gives you the lead by $1," Jennings declared after Carter scored $25,001 from $14,000. 

Contestant Scott Riccard on 'Jeopardy!' (Cover Image Source: YouTube| Jeopardy!)
Contestant Scott Riccard on 'Jeopardy!' (Cover Image Source: YouTube| Jeopardy!)

Riccardi also gave the right answer and scored a big number, making him the lucky third-time winner. His earnings went from $25,000 to a whopping $96,001. "Wow. He wagered $3,001, giving him $28,001. However, according to TVInsider, fans were not happy about the "Jeopardy!" clue. They felt that it was unfair to the contestants since it was vague and 'poorly worded'. “A very confusing clue. It took me more than the ‘think music’ time to even figure out what it said,” a viewer @pquijote557 mentioned on X. “I finally realized it wanted the name of the actor. Good thing there’s a pause button! (I still didn’t know the answer, though).” "More Science and Math, less pop," another user, @WaldoOtto89432, complained. 



 



 

"Ugh. Being a Bond fan and an Oscar buff, I should have known it, but I instantly blanked on nearly all Original Song winners for the last 40 years," @markintexas3030, a fan of the game, commented on YouTube. "Bond films MUST have the most awarded songs that match the titles... that's a genius element! Honestly, I don't know many other classic films that even do the same thing (?)," @jmason61 asked. "I wasn't sure if they wanted Daniel Craig or James Bond. The last 3 Bond themes have won the Oscar, but the Song from Spectre that won was called 'Writing's on the Wall'", @teelink204 pointed out. "They're looking for Craig as the correct response, but I wonder if they would have accepted Bond as an answer. When the clue says leading role, it doesn't specify if they are asking for an actor or a character," @irishbugs argued. 

More on Market Realist:

'Jeopardy' viewers are calling out Ken Jennings for his 'inappropriate' joke that backfired

'Jeopardy' fans stunned to see Ken Jennings reveal a hidden talent on the show: 'I didn't know...'

'Jeopardy’ fans absolutely loved the ‘wholesome’ call that Ken Jennings had with a show legend

RELATED TOPICS JEOPARDY
MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Steve Harvey had a hard time believing the contestant's answer, but she was outdone by her teammate.
13 hours ago
The duo worked very well as a team and the victory was well-deserved.
16 hours ago
Mr. Wonderful was passionate about bats right from the get-go and was the only one to make an offer.
17 hours ago
The pawn shop owner made a deal with the seller that he'd pay more if the gun worked.
1 day ago
Amber Lancaster handled the situation gracefully, and even congratulated the player on his impressive win.
1 day ago
The contestant, Diane, gave a couple of cheeky answers that caught Steve Harvey off guard.
2 days ago
The guest was expecting $22,000 for a Led Zeppelin album that was signed by all four members.
2 days ago
Fans shared their excitement for the upcoming season, with many hoping to see another million-dollar winner.
2 days ago
The host noted that contestant was already a crowd favorite, and his kind gesture made Josh feel like a star.
2 days ago
The item’s uniqueness kept Rick Harrison from making an offer, as there was no reference point for its value.
3 days ago
The entrepreneur 's business was immensely profitable which made her a confident negotiator.
3 days ago
The host did not hold back on his roast, but the contestant took it all in good humor.
3 days ago
The company made sure that pets were well-dressed and taken care of on the owner's wedding day.
4 days ago
The player, Leslie, decided to trust her gut instead of listening to the audience,and it really paid off.
4 days ago
The company had more than $18 million in sales in just the 12 months ahead of taping.
4 days ago
The pawn shop owner did not expect the grinder to be worth so much money.
5 days ago
The host of the show loved the answer and did not hold back on expressing his feelings.
5 days ago
The guest got a lot more than he hoped for after the expert authenticated the item.
5 days ago
Mark Cuban wanted to take over his entire business and made a generous offer, but Pizza Pack founder Tate Koenig wasn't interested.
6 days ago
The host had a hard time finding a response as he remained speechless for several seconds.
6 days ago