‘Jeopardy!’ responds to contestants’ fury over unpaid travel expenses

Present them the cash!

Contestants on “Jeopardy!” seem to have turn into more and more irked over the beloved recreation present’s refusal to pay primary journey bills, reminiscent of airfare and lodging — main the fabled franchise to interrupt its silence on the matter.

Again in June, former “Jeopardy!” contestant Ben Goldstein sparked a conversation on social media by suggesting that the present can be much more “accessible” for potential contestants if the price of journey weren’t so excessive.

“Personally, I believe masking journey/lodging would make the present accessible to a wider vary of contestants,” Goldstein wrote. “Not everybody can afford a visit to L.A. with no assure of payback.”

And whereas he might not have phrased his feedback within the type of a query, it seems “Jeopardy!” has been listening.

As showrunner Michael Davies introduced Monday on the “Inside Jeopardy!” podcast, all contestants any further will depart the stage with a bigger chunk of change than earlier than.

“The third place prize will transfer as much as $2,000,” Davies mentioned. “[And] the second place prize will transfer as much as $3,000.”

This represents a $1,000 pay bump for the runners-up, who receives a commission only for showing.

The change will take impact on Sept. 11, when Season 40 of “Jeopardy!” premieres.

“That is one thing we’ve been engaged on ever since I actually took the reins of the present … We perceive how difficult funding a visit to ‘Jeopardy!’ is for a lot of contestants inside our group,” Davies mentioned.

“Jeopardy!” has additionally confronted questions in current weeks about whether or not Ken Jennings will proceed to function the present’s host throughout the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

After Mayim Bialik stepped down from the lectern in a present of help for strikers, followers have referred to as for Jennings to do the identical.