Spoilers for past episode of Jeopardy
There was some parochial eye candy on Jeopardy when one Father Steve Jakubowski appeared as a contestant last week. Father Steve is a new-on-the-job Catholic priest at St. Ignatius Martyr in Austin, TX, whose scruffy beard, genial smile, and resemblance to Paul Rudd sent the show’s fans aflame as Thursday’s episode aired. At first divine intervention seemed to be on Father Steve’s side, with one category in the Jeopardy round being “Proverbs.” But ultimately NYC school teacher Jen Feldman became the night’s champion, while Father Steve was the only contestant to miss Final Jeopardy’s “New York Movies” clue. Still, Father Steve was a winner of sorts, in the sense that he’s become the first person christened “Hot Priest” since Andrew Scott memorably donned the robes on Fleabag in 2019. Here are some of the sinful thoughts Father Steve elicited:
Catholic priest Father Steve Jakubowski has won over the internet after competing on Jeopardy!
During the Thursday, September 19, episode of America’s favorite quiz show, viewers began calling the contestant “hot priest,” a title originally given to actor Andrew Scott in the hit show Fleabag.
“For those of you it matters to, there is a hot priest on Jeopardy tonight,” one viewer wrote via X. A separate fan added, “Whoever u are father steve, you’re waaaaaaay too hot to have joined the priesthood!!!! hot girl down fr.”
Another stated, “I am an atheist but I would def consider becoming a Catholic for Father Steve….. #jeopardy.”
During the episode, host Ken Jennings asked Fr. Steve whether competing on Jeopardy! or being a Catholic priest was more stressful.
“Catholic priest,” Fr. Steve quickly replied while laughing.
During Final Jeopardy, the Notre Dame graduate was in third place with $5,400. After wagering a majority of his winnings, he ended up with $99 and a joke from Jennings.
“As you know, the last shall be first,” the show’s host said while referencing a bible verse.
According to MLive, Fr. Steve entered the seminary to become a priest after graduating from college. He now works for a parish called St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church in Austin, Texas.
When the episode aired, the church shared support for its priest via Instagram writing, “Thank you for watching and supporting Fr. Steve’s journey on Jeopardy! Hopefully, you had as much fun watching it as we did!”
While Fr. Steve acknowledged he didn’t walk away with a major prize, he said, “It was cool. It was a lot of fun.”
If earning the nickname “Hot Priest” wasn’t enough, Fr. Steve was also compared to another famous actor during his brief appearance.
“@Jeopardy The part of Father Steve will be played by Paul Rudd tonight… #Jeopardy,” one viewer wrote via X.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. After losing to Brooklyn-based teacher Jen Feldman as well as reigning champ Chris Lindsay, Fr. Steve was sent back to church.
“Damn, the good looking priest lost !!” one user wrote via X. “Oooops! LOL #jeopardy.”
So what do we think, bitches, is Father Steve worth giving up atheism over? Personally, not to me. He seems nice enough, and lord knows he’s proven the full potential possible for beard growth when you put in the effort. But hey, to each her own religious hottie! And nice work, Ken Jennings, for whipping out the perfect bible verse to console Father Steve on his loss. I’d steal that one to use with your parishioners, Father Steve! Hilariously, my Jewish family has a Catholic-Jeopardy story of its own: my smarty-pants mother appeared on Jeopardy in the 80s. Obviously, the tests for getting on the show were not online then. You had to show up in person, and had 12 minutes to answer 60 questions using pencil and paper. My mother recalled one of the questions was, “Name of the holiday that occurs 12 days after Christmas.” As aforementioned, my mother is not Christian. But she is an avid reader and pieced together the answer from vaguely remembering a passage in James Joyce’s Dubliners. But she wasn’t 100% certain, so when the test was over she made a beeline to a group of nuns who were also trying out for the show, and gasped, “It was the Epiphany, right?!” What is: yes, my child.