Who won Jeopardy! tonight? September 25, 2025, Thursday

On Thursday, September 25, 2025, another episode of Jeopardy! aired. Fans eagerly tuned in to see who would take home the winning prize. Steven Olson, a familiar face, competed fiercely for a fifth win.

The game ended with Vickie Talvola winning $26,407. She won tonight's episode by answering the Final Jeopardy clue about Hope, Arkansas. Her game performance was outstanding, and she will defend her title.

Jeopardy!'s challenging trivia questions and dynamic contestants keep viewers hooked. Tonight's episode showed the game's unpredictability. Vickie was the night's top contestant because her strategy paid off despite the stakes.

Jeopardy Episode Highlights September 25, 2025, Thursday

Jeopardy! Round

The Jeopardy! round began with a competitive start, as Steven Olson, Erik Nielsen, and Vickie Talvola faced off. The categories included Port Is In Session, Song Lyrics of the Aughts, Prisons, Cooking With Cayenne, Book Character Inspo, and Foreign Bodies. Steven found the Daily Double early and gained $1,000, giving him a large lead. Later in the round, Vickie caught Steven, making the game more exciting.

Scores were as follows:

• Steven Olson: $4,200
• Erik Nielsen: $1,600
• Vickie Talvola: $1,000
• Vickie had 9 correct responses with no incorrect answers. Steven, while leading initially, had some errors, but still managed to remain in the game.

Double Jeopardy! Round

The Double Jeopardy! round had a shift in momentum, as Erik Nielsen took an early lead. Categories in this round included Truman Capote’s Black-and-White Ball, Plant Facts, That’s My Philosophy, Word Origins, Beastly History, and Before & After At The Movies. 

Erik excelled until he bet less than half his score on Daily Double 2. Vickie took advantage, hitting the third Daily Double and doubling her score for an unbeatable lead.

By the end of the round, the scores stood at:

• Vickie Talvola: $26,400
• Erik Nielsen: $12,700
• Steven Olson: $6,400
• Vickie moved into a commanding position, securing her spot in the final round.

Final Jeopardy! Round

The Final Jeopardy! category was U.S. Towns,

The clue was: "This southern town known for big watermelons is the birthplace of the politicians who were govs. of its state in 1983, 2003 & 2023." 

The correct response was "What is Hope, Arkansas?"

In a smart move, Vickie answered correctly and added $7 to her score, reaching $26,407. Erik's incorrect guess dropped his score to $12,500, while Steven's solid game ended with $1 after his Final Jeopardy mistake!

Jersey City quantitative trader Vickie Talvola had a solid strategy. She won Double Jeopardy! and Final Jeopardy! with correct answers. Also a strong contender was Hollywood substitute teacher Erik Nielsen, but his incorrect final wager cost him a chance to win. The defending champion, Princeton, Illinois band director Steven Olson, had $74,382 from his four previous wins, but he couldn't win tonight.

Tonight’s Game Stats

Jeopardy! Round:
Categories: Port Is In Session; Song Lyrics Of The Aughts; Prisons; Cooking With Cayenne; Book Character Inspo; Foreign Bodies

Statistics at the first break (15 clues):

• Steven 7 correct 2 incorrect
• Erik 4 correct 1 incorrect
• Vickie 2 correct 0 incorrect

Interviews:

• Vickie won a poker tournament playing in her mother’s stead.
• Erik had been a spelling bee champion in Florida; his name was misspelled in the newspaper.
• Steven plays in the Online Quiz League and is teammates with Grant deYoung.

Statistics after the Jeopardy round:

• Vickie 9 correct 0 incorrect
• Erik 9 correct 2 incorrect
• Steven 9 correct 4 incorrect

Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:

• Vickie $4,200
• Erik $2,800
• Steven $2,800

Double Jeopardy! Round:

Categories: Truman Capote’s Black-&-White Ball; Plant Facts; That’s My Philosophy; Word Origins; Beastly History; Before & After At The Movies

Statistics after Double Jeopardy:

• Vickie 22 correct 0 incorrect
• Erik 18 correct 3 incorrect
• Steven 13 correct 7 incorrect
• Total number of unplayed clues this season: 3:

Scores going into Final

• Vickie $26,400
• Erik $12,700
• Steven $6,400

Tonight’s results:

• Steven $6,400 – $6,399 = $1 (What’s… Big Melon Town)
• Erik $12,700 – $200 = $12,500 (What is Little Rock Arkansas???)
• Vickie $26,400 + $7 = $26,407 (What is Hope?) 

Vickie Talvola won $26,407 on Jeopardy! on September 25, 2025, after a twisty episode. She led after Jeopardy! and Double Jeopardy!, and she won Final Jeopardy with a correct answer.