Jeopardy! contestant has Chaka Khan blunder – then makes show history

‘Ladies and gentlemen, you have just witnessed something that never happens on our programme’

A Jeopardy! contestant unintentionally made history on the programme – not long after suffering a Chaka-Khan-related blunder.

Sarah Jett Rayburn, from Hutto, Texas, defended her spot as a champion on Monday.

At one point, she attempted to answer the $2,000 question in the category “The Zulus”.

Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek read the question, which came with an accompanying photo, as such: “Here, as on each 24 September, Zulus celebrate the holiday that was named in honor of this warrior leader of the early 1800s.”

The correct answer was Shaka Zulu, a Zulu chief and founder of the Zulu Empire in Southern Africa.

Rayburn, however, replied “Chaka Khan”, the American singer and songwriter, in a mistake that left many viewers amused.

At the end of the episode, Rayburn gave the wrong answer to the Final Jeopardy! question, which was: “Before they were photographed together in 1862, Lincoln wryly noted this general ‘should have no problem’ sitting still for it.”

Raybyurn guessed Ulysses S Grant, but the correct answer was George B McClellan – which she suggested out loud after Trebek read her initial response.

“I wasn’t sure. I second-guessed myself on that one a lot,” she said, adding: “Sorry. I shouldn’t be talking now.”

Trebek, however, sought to reassure the contestant, telling her: “No, that’s fine, you can talk now. There are people who are watching who are saying ‘Why didn’t she put down McClellan?’ and you just explained. It was your second choice.”

Rayburn continued: “I was afraid. Grant seemed safer, you know what I mean? I thought – anyway, I’m sorry.”

The audience laughed before Trebek concluded: “Ladies and gentlemen, you have just witnessed something that never happens on our programme: an explanation of why the contestant wrote down what they did.”

Rayburn remained the show’s champion, with a total of $8,400 at the end of the episode.