Ken Jennings is setting the record straight after Jeopardy! faced backlash for a clue that confused contestants and angered fans.
Last week’s October 24 episode featured a category titled “Daddy Is There Really A…” with a clue that read, “No: A.I. Generated The TikTok Image of this pig/human eventually killed by Tim Cheese.” None of the contestants buzzed in, and the correct response — “Who is John Pork?” — only added to the confusion. Jennings himself looked lost, admitting on-air, “I didn’t understand any of that,” as the audience laughed.
John Pork is a viral internet character — a man’s body with a pig’s head — who became a TikTok meme years ago. The character was jokingly declared “dead” online, sparking the “RIP John Pork” trend. However, many fans quickly pointed out that the show’s clue was incorrect, since the image of John Pork existed long before A.I. became mainstream.
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After the episode aired, Jeopardy! released an apology TikTok featuring Jennings, who addressed the mix-up. “When we played a clue recently on Jeopardy! about John Pork, I remarked that ‘I didn’t understand a word of it,’” he explained. “I’ve had the chance to learn quite a bit since that clue aired about the late Mr. Pork, including the fact that some viewers took exception with our description of him as AI-generated.” Jennings added, “Even though A.I. is used heavily in many of his TikToks, it’s possible that wasn’t the best wording to refer to his original appearances.”
Still, his use of the phrase “the late Mr. Pork” left some fans shocked.
“No way this is how I find out John Pork died.” one stated, while another asked, “John Pork died? I didn’t even know he was sick.”
“Hearing john pork referred to as ‘Mr.pork’ is possibly the funniest thing i’ve ever heard,” said a third.
“The concept of jeopardy doing a john pork apology,” another remarked about the situation in general.
Another TikTokker declared, “This is journalistic integrity.”
Between the confusion, the internet meltdown, and Jennings’ good-humored response, one thing’s clear — even after 60 years on air, Jeopardy! can still surprise its audience
This story was originally reported by Parade on Nov 3, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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