JEOPARDY! contestant Erin Portman has clinched a high-earning first win on Wednesday with $31,201 and scored bonus points with her on-stage story.
She revealed to Ken Jennings, 48, that she met Jane Goodall while they were both looking for a bathroom.
One-day champ Vince Bacani faced Alec Wang, a real estate analyst from Avon, Connecticut, and Erin, a high school English teacher from Naperville, Illinois.
Vince, a risk manager from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, took to the winner's podium after beating the contestant who previously beat three-day champ Yogesh Raut.
With the board clear of a multi-day winner, Ken asked the three contestants more about themselves in the Q&A portion.
Erin began: "Jane Goodall, loved her since I was a little kid, went and saw her speak one time - I was looking for the restroom before the event started."
Read more on Jeopardy!
She continued: "I got a little bit lost backstage and there she is standing in front of me."
"Wow, large as life?" Ken asked in surprise, wanting to know more.
"Yeah, it was a little spooky, all I could say was ‘I'm looking for the bathroom’ and so was she."
Ken just laughed, as did the crowd, before adding: "Celebs - they're just like us - even primatologist celebs," about the 88-year-old who was the first person to observe chimpanzees up close.
Most read in Entertainment
After monkeying around, Erin took a big lead and Vince missed a Daily Double, but he eventually found the last one to swing back into the running.
Going into Final Jeopardy, Vince had $15,599, Erin still led with $21,000, and Alec didn't compete as he finished at -$2,000.
The former one-day champ also hilariously responded to a clue looking for "liquor" and after getting it, added "boy could I use some," since he was trailing.
When Vince eventually made his comeback, Ken joked he did so "without a shot of liquor."
'WOW!'
Under "Early American History" Final Jeopardy read: "In 1692 Increase Mather wrote, 'It were better that ten suspected' these escape, than that one innocent person … be condemned.'"
Both players correctly brewed up "What are: Witches."
Vince wagered to oust her by $1 if she was incorrect and he ended up with $21,000.
Erin then revealed her wager as the two were at that point separated by a dollar in the tense last round.
"Did she bet more than a dollar, wow she did!" an impressed Ken exclaimed on her big $10,200 bet.
"Wow," he said again: "You are our new Jeopardy! champion!"
The two players left sweetly congratulated each other and clapped, as fans were excited to see if Erin can keep it going.
'HARDLY EVER SEE THAT!'
One fan remarked on Reddit: "Hardly ever see the loser applaud the winner so heartily. Great sport he is even though he won only one game."
Another wrote: "I was hoping to see Vince a couple more times! Something about him was very likable to me. 'What is liquor? I could really use some right now' when he was being shut out by Erin made me chuckle!"
A third wrote: "Congratulations to Erin on her strong performance!"
Jeopardy! has not had a female contestant go on a winning streak this season.
So far, only four contestants have won big enough to qualify for next year's Tournament of Champions.
Those would be fan-favorite Ray Lalonde with 13 wins, former poker ace Cris Pannullo with 21 wins, five-day champ Luigi de Guzman, and four-day champ and priest David Sibley.
The applause moment was also a welcome finish to the thrilling game as earlier this week Yogesh - one W short of qualifying - did not clap when he was defeated.
WHERE IS: MAYIM?
Meanwhile, co-host Mayim Bialik, 47, is expected to return to the game show in late February.
With her Call Me Kat schedule running longer than expected, Mayim will be commencing her hosting duties with a new teen tournament.
Fans will be getting more of Ken as he will be hosting the new Jeopardy! Masters spinoff, which is scheduled to air during the spring in primetime.
Read More on The US Sun
The six-champ special has invited Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Sam Buttrey, Andrew He, Mattea Roach, and James Holzhauer to participate as contestants.
The 20-game, 10-episode special will see all of the players face each other in a round-robin with no one eliminated.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEZqqupl6YvK57xKernqqklravucSnq2hvYWuGdICSaKGep6CWv6XFjJ6poqZdrLavusSrZKSdnmK3prrNoqWgq12frq%2BxjKCmqJyRoblw