Drew Goins continues to entertain us on Jeopardy! After the contestant got so excited to nail a Taylor Swift clue after missing one on his first outing, this time he whiffed on a Celine Dion clue… after he thanked the singer on the air during his Q&A with Ken Jennings.
This contestant’s heart will go on – at least for now. Drew Goins, a Hawaii journalist competing in the Jeopardy! 2025 Champions Wildcard tournament, missed the question about Céline Dion after giving her a shout-out earlier in the show. “John the producer suggested, long story, I should thank Céline Dion. So, thank you, Céline Dion,” he said on Friday’s episode, before bowing and looking directly at the camera. “Does she know what she did?” host Ken Jennings asked about the iconic 56-year-old singer. “Oh, she does,” Goins teased back. “Deep down.”
But when it was time for the journalist to reveal his knowledge of Dion with the $2,000 question from the category “’90s No. 1 Hits,” he missed the mark entirely. “Sharing its title with an earlier, more upbeat Huey Lewis hit, it was No. 1 for Celine Dion in 1994,” Jennings read. Instead of buzzing in, Goins seemed panicked about the question referencing the 1994 hit. The buzzer sounded, and no one, including Goins, answered. “Oh, she’s going to be mad, Drew,” Jennings joked as Goins walked off the stage, resulting in laughter from the audience.
Not one to wallow, when Goins returned to the podium, Jennings revealed the correct answer to the question, stating, “Like Huey Lewis, Céline Dion sang a song called ‘The Power of Love.’” Goins explained why he wouldn’t be able to recall the title, jokingly stating: “I was born in 1994!”
Despite the gaffe, Goins finished the show by placing second, taking home $40,000, which made his slip-up slightly easier to digest. He is also set to compete again soon, with the upcoming Tournament of Champions quarterfinals scheduled for February 3.
Although he couldn’t put his Dion skills to the test this time, he did find redemption after his earlier experience with pop music. During the first round of the competition, he failed to answer the $800 question, “The first of Taylor Swift’s record four AOTY Grammys was for this album in 2010.” None of the contestants buzzed with the answer “Fearless.”
Then, on the January 6 Jeopardy! episode, Goins faced another question about Swift: “Celine Dion gave us this album named for a different year.” Goins buzzed in and responded, “What is ‘1989’?”
“Redemption for Drew!” Jennings shouted as the audience erupted with cheers. “And the crowd goes wild.”
Goins took to Instagram to reflect on his experiences and thank his brother Zach for his unwavering support during this wild ride. “I legitimately would not have been able to accomplish anything like this on Jeopardy! (or in life!) were it not for you. You flew across the country for my every taping, using up money and PTO…” he wrote.
To wrap up his gratitude, he stated, “So excited for tons more brother time, but especially when I get to pay back this favor sooner rather than later — because I know you won’t be missing from the Alex Trebek Stage for long.”
Jeopardy! echoed with humor and lightness the classic saying: “Here’s hoping Drew’s heart will go on,” referencing Dion’s Oscar-winning ballad featured prominently within the cultural zeitgeist. While he may have stumbled during Friday’s episode, Drew Goins’ Jeopardy! tale is far from over!