Ken Jennings Defends Simu Liu Against 'Celebrity Jeopardy!' Criticism

"Jeopardy!" host Ken Jennings is defending Simu Liu against criticism that he received after competing in the season premiere of "Celebrity Jeopardy!".

Although the “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” actor, 33, ended up winning the competition, not all "Jeopardy!" fans appreciated his wagers... or his wrong answers. In the very first Daily Double of the game, in the category “Telling a Bedtime Story," the clue was “A Seussian home invasion, now that's what he'll do!/He'll mistreat a fish! Turn 2 kids' home into a zoo!”

Liu incorrectly guessed "What is Horton?" when the correct answer was actually "What is Cat in the Hat." He had wagered everything on the question and his score dropped to zero. Although that was only in the first round and he ended up winning the game, "Jeopardy!" fans still took to Twitter to complain about what they felt was an "obvious," answer, leading Liu to try to defend himself on social media.

On Tuesday, two days after the episode aired, the "Kim's Convenience" actor took to social media to address some of the criticism and feedback that he had received after the hour-long season premiere aired on ABC.

"To all the people trying to 'give me tips' on Jeopardy, please talk to me when you have four cameras pointed at you on a subzero soundstage with a live audience, two super-fast-buzzing competitors and money on the line for charity lmfao," he wrote.

"I watched you. I think you were freaked out by Andy," one fan commented. "I sure was. He was amazing. Be confident. You got this. And you're gorgeous."

Liu was up against actor, comedian, writer, and talk show announcer Paul Andrew “Andy” Richter, 55. Ritcher was also a previous “Celebrity Jeopardy!” champion and was dominating the game up until the "Final Jeopardy!" question.

The third contestant in the season premiere was actress and comedian Egobunma Kelechi "Ego" Nwodim, 34, who is best known for appearing as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live.” She joined the 44th season of SNL in 2018.

Going into the Final Jeopardy! round, Andy had 45 correct and 3 incorrect with a total of $21,100 dollars. Simu had 21 correct and 3 incorrect and a total of $11,600 dollars. Ego had 18 correct and 2 incorrect with a total of $10,000 dollars.

The "Final Jeopardy!" category was LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES. The clue read: "It's the world's small landlocked country in both area and population."

Only Simu Liu provided the correct answer of "What is Vatican City?" He went all in with $11,600 dollars and won the game with $23,200 dollars. Andy came in second with 18,900 dollars and Ego came in third with $0 dollars.

Shortly after he posted his tweet, "Jeopardy!" co-host Ken Jennings took to Twitter to defend his gameplay. "Playing Jeopardy! is intense! Even super-heroes can be pushed to their limits!" he tweeted, referring to his role as the 2021 Marvel superhero.

Gameshow contestant James Stevenson agreed with Ken's tweet. "I will always remember the sensation of being in the audience at Jeopardy! for the first time, and realizing just how much faster and more intense it is in [the] studio," he tweeted. "And then experiencing that further on stage at The Price is Right."

"Celebrity Jeopardy!" host and "Jeopardy!" co-host, Mayim Bialik, did not respond to Liu's tweet.

After the season premiere, two additional Round 1 quarterfinals will be held on October 2 and October 9. The winners of these three quarterfinals will face off in the Round 1 semifinal match on October 16!

Fans can check out the rest of the celebrities who will be appearing on "Celebrity Jeopardy!" by clicking here.