Sunny Hostin Embarrassed on ‘The View’ as Clip of Her ‘Jeopardy’ Defeat Is Aired: "The Buzzer Is Mean"

Sunny Hostin is a prominent figure in daytime TV. At one point, The View co-host deviated from her usual seat discussing Hot Topics, opting instead for a Jeopardy! buzzer as a contestant on the cherished game show in 2016. Although Hostin didn't emerge victorious in the game, the memory of her challenging experience on Jeopardy! was brought back to her when host Ken Jennings visited The View on June 13, 2023, per Decider.

While engaging in a conversation with Jennings on the show, Hostin found herself confronted with her own history on Jeopardy! The View didn't miss a beat in reminding her of this, promptly airing footage of her participation in a match against Al Franken and fellow The View co-host Ana Navarro. “I have a special appreciation for the show because I know how difficult it is to be a contestant,” Hostin addressed Jennings during the conversation, while Joy Behar added a humorous comment, “Get the violins out!”

The footage depicted Hostin's attempts to swiftly buzz in for answering questions, but her timing often lagged, leading to visible frustration. Even during the discussion about her Jeopardy! experience on The View, she pointed the finger at the buzzer for her challenges saying: “It’s the buzzer, it’s the buzzer!” Alyssa Farah Griffin remarked on observing a sense of "rage" on Hostin's face as her attempts to buzz in and respond kept missing the mark.

After watching the video, Ken Jennings commented that it was evident Hostin hadn't enjoyed a favorable time on the show. “You’re not having a good time,” Jennings maintained a serious expression while Hostin chuckled loudly, “Thanks, The View, I didn’t even know you had that part of the clip,” before reiterating, “I know how hard [Jeopardy!] is.” Afterward, she restated her initial statements and provided further clarification that the buzzer always “screws you.” Ken Jennings chuckled about it, remarking, “The buzzer is mean.”

There's a sense of irony in the fact that both Hostin and Navarro found themselves as contestants on Jeopardy! facing off against each other. What's rather unfortunate is that neither of The View's co-hosts managed to secure a victory during this particular appearance. Their opponents included Al Franken, the former US Senator who began his career as a comedy writer on Saturday Night Live. As reported by TV Shows Ace, Franken emerged triumphant over both Hostin and Navarro in the competition.

As per Mediate, when Franken faced off against Hostin and Navarro, he adopted a more strategic approach. Once again, he secured a significant lead that eluded both women. However, he made a prudent wager of only $5 in the final round, ensuring his victory without any risk. Franken accumulated $20,005 in winnings during the episode, and in a commendable move, Jeopardy! donated $50,000 to the USO on his behalf. In the final standings, Hostin landed in last place with $5,000 while Navarro achieved a total of $9,800.

References:

https://decider.com/2023/08/08/the-view-embarrasses-sunny-hostin-jeopardy-loss-buzzer-screws-you/

https://tvshowsace.com/2023/06/14/the-view-hosts-mock-sunny-hostin-following-jeopardy-loss/

https://www.mediaite.com/online/guess-who-outright-dominated-last-night-on-jeopardy-power-players/