Friday night’s episode of Jeopardy! delivered more than sharp trivia and a new champion — it sparked a pop-culture double take. Contestant Liam Starnes, an undergraduate student from Barrington, Illinois, quickly caught viewers’ attention for his confident gameplay and his uncanny resemblance to The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper.
Facing off against returning champion Steven Hoying and graduate student Rachael Gray, Liam steadily climbed the leaderboard. After taking control in Double Jeopardy!, he entered Final Jeopardy! with a narrow lead and sealed his win by wagering boldly. His correct response brought his total to an impressive $32,401, crowning him the new one-day champion.
But while his strategy impressed longtime fans of the quiz show, social media lit up for another reason. Viewers flooded X with comparisons to Sheldon Cooper, with some joking that Liam looked like a real-life version of the iconic physicist — or even Jim Parsons’ younger brother.
