CULVER CITY, Calif. — 'Jeopardy!' champion, Christine Whelchel, mustered up the courage to make a mighty statement during Monday's show that could empower those who have experienced cancer.
On the episode, "Jeopardy!" host, Ken Jennings, said viewers might notice something different about Whelchel. The Spring Hill, Tenn., native who was previously seen with blond locks that stopped above her shoulder was now rocking a short haircut.
It was then that Whelchel disclosed that she had been wearing a wig to cover up her haircut after undergoing breast cancer treatment.
"I decided I didn’t need to hide behind the wig anymore," she said. "I want to normalize what going through cancer recovery really looks like."
Whelchel took the moment during the "meet the contestants" portion to recognize that losing hair during cancer treatments is normal.
The piano teacher and church organist is on a four-day winning streak on "Jeopardy!" and has racked up a total of $73,602 in earnings. She competes again on Tuesday.
Whelchel was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2021, she revealed on a previous episode of the show. She said she took the "Jeopardy!" test a couple of weeks after she was diagnosed.
"I ended up getting my audition the night before my surgery in May," Whelchel said.
Evidently, the audition went well. And Whelchel announced that she is "cancer-free as of right now."