The newest season of “Celebrity Jeopardy!” kicked off on Friday, March 13, as ABC rolled out its most elaborate tournament to date. The All-Stars edition began at 8/7c with sports media figure Katie Nolan and “Saturday Night Live” alum Rachel Dratch trading the lead throughout the evening, while actor-writer Mark Duplass remained a close contender in a quarterfinal that entertained from the first clue.
This fourth installment gathers 21 popular contestants from the show’s first three seasons into a bracket-style contest that matches returning winners with the celebrities who nearly toppled them. The event covers 10 episodes—six quarterfinals, three semifinals, and a final where the winner’s chosen charity gets $1 million.
Host Ken Jennings is back to preside over the All-Stars competition on the Alex Trebek Stage. In a season teaser, Jennings said, “Jeopardy! goes Hollywood. Our brightest stars are all back.”
The bracket favors the show’s three reigning champions. Season 1 winner Ike Barinholtz, Season 2 champ Lisa Ann Walter, and Season 3’s W. Kamau Bell are seeded straight into the semifinals and avoid the six-game quarterfinal round. The other 18 celebrities must fight through those preliminaries for a chance to challenge the titleholders.
The challenger lineup reads like a roll call of TV and comedy stars: Macaulay Culkin, Ray Romano, Andy Richter, Margaret Cho, Patton Oswalt, Cynthia Nixon, and Mina Kimes are all vying to advance. The field also includes “Gilmore Girls” actor Sean Gunn, comedian Roy Wood Jr., Robin Thede, Mo Rocca, Mira Sorvino, Tim Simons, Jackie Tohn, and Steven Weber. Notably, Season 2 finalists Walter, Nolan, and Rocca will compete against one another again in this All-Stars run.
The returning winners bring impressive records. Barinholtz, 49, became the first celebrity champion to play in the regular Tournament of Champions—winning his quarterfinal before losing in the semifinals. The actor-comedian most recently appeared in the critically praised Apple TV+ series “The Studio.”
Walter, who won Season 2 and stars on “Abbott Elementary,” has openly expressed how much her victory meant to her. She has joked about being buried with her “Jeopardy!” trophy, calling it “my urn” and saying it’s specified in her will.
Bell joins the All-Stars as the latest champion, having claimed the Season 3 title when the finale aired on April 23, 2025. The comedian-filmmaker won $1 million for DonorsChoose, which supports classroom projects for public school teachers. Bell used part of his prize to fully fund every outstanding project in Oakland public schools and in Mobile, Alabama, where his father resides.
The All-Stars premiere was initially set for Feb. 27, but ABC delayed it two weeks to March 13. The network announced the season renewal in May 2025, sparking excitement among fans eager to see past contestants return for another shot at trivia success.
For viewers curious whether the celebrity edition features easier questions, Jennings addressed that topic directly. On a March 5 appearance on “Live with Kelly and Mark,” host Kelly Ripa asked if the questions are simplified for celebrities. “That’s a nice way to say that. You didn’t say ‘dumbed down,'” Jennings said with a laugh, adding that “Celebrity Jeopardy! is for real Jeopardy! Our brand is ‘smart people knowing smart stuff,’ and that’s true even if it’s the celebrity version.”
Jennings also offered an explanation for why comedians often excel in the celebrity contests—Barinholtz, Walter, and Bell all come from comedy. He suggested that experience performing live helps them react faster to the buzzer and fear embarrassment less, traits that serve them well in the pressured game show environment.
Upcoming quarterfinals include Culkin against Steven Weber and Jackie Tohn on March 20, followed by Sean Gunn, Cynthia Nixon, and Roy Wood Jr. on March 27. The semifinals and final are slated for May, with the competition wrapping up on May 14.
Contestants eliminated in the quarterfinals still receive $30,000 for their charities, while semifinalists who don’t advance take home $50,000. The two finalists who finish behind the winner each get $175,000—a change from earlier seasons when second and third place payouts differed.
Fans can catch the season opener on ABC, and episodes stream on Hulu the next day. The tournament structure promises weeks of competition as celebrities showcase their knowledge across varied categories while raising funds for causes they support.