Jeopardy! viewers were left fuming at a question on the show which baffled contestant Jason King as he attempted to notch up his third win

Jeopardy! fans have hit out at question during an episode which asked which university Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest left in order to pursue his broadcasting career.

The episode on Thursday, July 3 featured Jason Singer, a real estate whiz from Portland, Maine, vying for his third victory. Singer broke the recent trend, being the first contender since mid-June to string together multiple wins amidst a wave of one-day champs.

He squared off against Scott Riccardi, a New Jersey engineer, and Katy Doll, an educator in American studies hailing from the Big Easy. The competition was neck-and-neck, with Singer and Riccardi deadlocked at $3,200 apiece before the midway interviews.

But King was left stumped by a $600 hint under the “Dropouts” category, which read, “It was Seacrest out of this state university in 1992; that didn’t stop Ryan from getting a hosting gig or two.”, reports the Mirror US.

None of the contestants rang in with the correct response, the University of Georgia. This prompted an uproar on Reddit, where users questioned the question’s relevance, with one person saying, “Is there a particular reason we should know the school from which Ryan Seacrest was a dropout?”.

Katy Doll, an educator in American studies, came second in the episode (Image: Jeopardy!)

Another viewer was perplexed why Seacrest’s educational past made the cut, writing, “Came to ask about that absurd Ryan Seacrest question too lmao like… he’s not Michael Jordan or… literally any athlete where they famously go play at a college and it’s mentioned or something lol.”

A third viewer was also baffled, saying, “How in the world is anyone supposed to know where Seacrest went and if it’s a 600 dollar question without a single hint/clue in the question?”

One fan defended the show’s approach, saying, “Some people just know some things. That’s the game: what has the lint roller in my head picked up over the years?”

But another argued, “True, but Jeopardy! clues are supposed to help you get there, and usually the information conveyed is somewhat interesting. They just don’t want a random fact about a random celebrity that has no particular point of interest. If the whole show was like that it would be boring as hell.”

Some viewers suggest the question was used because Wheel of Fortune is Jeopardy!’s sister show.

One viewer said: “I think y’all are way over thinking this. This is just throwing a bone to Jeopardy’s sister show. “A lot of people watch both J! and WoF. And anyone who’s been watching Wheel since Seacrest took over will instantly know about his Georgia connection.”

Jeopardy! contestants on the show (Image: Jeopardy!)

The episode saw Singer and Riccardi closely matched, with just $400 difference prior to Final Jeopardy.

At the end of Double Jeopardy, Singer was ahead with a lead of $17,000, followed narrowly by Riccardi’s $16,600, while Doll remained at $5,600.

Singer was bested by Riccardi in the final stretch when he couldn’t nail a pop culture query during Final Jeopardy. The prompt was: “‘Lord of the Flies’ inspired this series as did the 1994 film ‘Heavenly Creatures,’ which starred one of the show’s actresses.

Both Riccardi and Doll came up with the correct response – Paramount’s Yellowjackets. Riccardi, who some YouTube viewers remarked resembled Fonzie from Happy Days, triumphed with a total of $17,600, while Doll secured second place with $7,200.

After leaving university to chase his broadcasting dreams, Seacrest embraced a “just say yes” mindset, doing everything from overnight shifts to driving vans, the Hollywood Reporter reported.

Within three years, he was at the helm of a radio program and hosting segments on the Sci Fi Channel’s TV show The New Edge.

His resume also boasts hosting teen game show Click and the hit series American Idol.