New ‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Reveals She Underwent Breast Cancer Treatment While Auditioning for the Show
Jeopardy! champion Christine Whelchel revealed during Wednesday’s gameshow that she underwent treatment for breast cancer while auditioning for the competition.
She auditioned the night before undergoing surgery.
“Everything else went well and I’m cancer-free as of right now,” she told Ken Jennings.
Newest Jeopardy! champion Christine Whelchel left her podium this week with multiple reasons to celebrate. Not only did she win $34,000 in her first game, she recently became cancer-free.
The piano teacher and church organist told host Ken Jennings on Wednesday night’s episode that her recent breast cancer diagnosis inspired her to take the Jeopardy! entry test. “I was diagnosed in March of 2021, and one of the first things I did a couple of weeks after being diagnosed was take the Jeopardy! test,” she said. “And I ended up getting my audition the night before my surgery in May.”
A year later, she found herself in the competition. “Well, evidently the audition went well!” Jennings said. “You're here. And I hope the surgery [went well], too.” The Spring Hill, Tennessee resident concurred, revealing that her health is in a good place at the moment. “Everything else went well and I’m cancer-free as of right now,” she said.
We had ourselves a tiebreaker today. What a nailbiter! pic.twitter.com/kPyswRCwVc
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) February 24, 2022
Entering Wednesday’s Final Jeopardy round, Whelchel wagered just enough to earn herself a tie with fellow contestant Henry Rozycki, and it came down to the tie-breaking prompt: “After its inclusion in a 1915 poem, this red flower became a symbol of fallen World War I soldiers.”
Whelchel was the first to buzz in, answering correctly: “What is poppy?”
On Thursday, Welchel just barely continued her winning streak, despite missing the Final Jeopardy question. She will return to defend her title on Friday. “Cancer-free and now on Jeopardy!” the gameshow tweeted on Wednesday. “Congratulations Christine.”
Cancer-free and now on Jeopardy! Congratulations, Christine. ?? pic.twitter.com/6GcY866Zrc
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) February 23, 2022
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women, affecting over 200,000 U.S. women a year. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 43,250 women will die from breast cancer in 2022. Over 3.8 million breast cancer survivors live in the United States today. Welchel’s story underscores the importance of routine screenings.
We’re so happy for the champ and can’t wait to see her continue her winning streak!
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