‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Ditches Wig To Help Normalize Cancer Recovery

When Christine Whelchel made her debut on the game show Jeopardy!, she quickly showed the world that she had a lot of offer.

The piano teacher from Tennessee is a four-day champion on the show, winning at least $73,602 in prizes. However, on an episode that aired on February 28, 2022, Christine looked strikingly different.

While the contestant originally had blonde shoulder-length hair with loose curls, on February 28th’s episode, she sported a short buzz cut. But she didn’t actually cut her hair, instead, it was revealed that she simply removed her wig before the episode.

Photo: flickr/Steve Jurvetson

The wig Christine had been using was from her time in cancer recovery. Christine had been diagnosed with breast cancer and chose to undergo chemotherapy as a result.

One of the side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss, something many cancer patients know all too well. While many people choose to wear a wig well into their recovery journey, Christine decided she didn’t need to hide behind her hair anymore.

Photo: Twitter/@jeopardy

Speaking with the host of the show, she said, “After the winnings, I decided that I didn’t need to hide behind a wig anymore, and I wanted to normalize what cancer recovery looks like.”

She was also happy to announce that she’s currently cancer-free!