Former “Survivor” Contestant Shocks “Jeopardy!” Fans with Upset Victory

Former “Survivor” contestant Drew Basile made a stunning upset on Wednesday night’s episode of “Jeopardy!” by defeating 15-game winning streak champion Adriana Harmeyer and Tekla Sauter. Harmeyer, an archivist from West Lafayette, Indiana, was the favorite to win her 16th game in a row but couldn’t outplay Basile, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in English Literature at the University of Oxford. Basile, who mentioned his “Survivor” past when introducing himself to host Ken Jennings, answered 21 questions correctly and took home $23,482. Despite missing five questions, including Final Jeopardy, Basile’s performance was praised by Jennings, who called him a “Giant Killer.” Harmeyer had won nearly $350,000 before being knocked off the show by Basile and will compete in the next “Tournament of Champions.” Fans expressed shock and mixed reactions on social media, with some expressing sadness at Harmeyer’s departure and others criticizing Basile. Nevertheless, Basile became the first “Survivor” contestant to appear on “Jeopardy!” and will compete against Bob Longstreth, a superior court judge from California, and Jonquil Garrick-Reynolds, a theatrical wardrobe technician from Canada, on Thursday’s episode. “Jeopardy!” airs weekdays at 7 p.m. ET on ABC.