Jeopardy! viewers left tickled over host Ken Jennings' 'great delivery' of cheeky answer: 'He was trying to keep a straight face!'

Jeopardy! presenter Ken Jennings left viewers chuckling after he cheekily revealed 'boobies' was a correct answer to a clue - with some noticing he tried to keep a straight face. 

During Tuesday night's episode, the host, 50, left contestants Tim Herd, Lindsay Denninger, and Neilesh Vinjamuri stumped when he asked a tricky question from the US Areas and Territories category for $1600.

Reading the question, he said: 'Despite the name, these birds aren't dumb – the masked brown types make their homes on Johnston Atoll, a nature wildlife refuge.'

But the clue left all three players so baffled that nobody buzzed in before the timer went off.

As a result, Ken was forced to reveal the correct answer. 

Ken Jennings left viewers chuckling after he cheekily revealed that 'boobies' was a correct answer to a clue during Tuesday's episode

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'Those are boobs,' he said gleefully, before returning to Neilesh had control of the board.

The moment delighted viewers across the nation, who praised Ken for his delivery.

On X, one said: 'Heh heh. He said boobys. You can tell Ken is trying to slyly keep a straight face right at the end.'

Another wrote: 'Ken sounded just a bit too cheery on that.'

A third added: 'One of the @Jeopardy writers' inner 12YO wrote a clue.'

Over on Reddit, one said: 'Great delivery from Ken here but this was also one of those sentences that I can hear crystal clear in Alex's voice and it made me miss him.

'He had a very specific cadence when he got to reveal an answer he found funny or cute.' 

Referring to the players' not buzzing in to answer the clue, another said: 'Imagine missing your chance to say boobies unironically on TV....'

The host read a clue from the US Areas and Territories category for $1600

All three players were stumped by the question and failed to buzz in with an answer 

'Who wants to say "What are boobies?" on national television?' another user responded. 

'I guess I would for the comedy, but not surprised by the silence.'

By the end of the episode, Neilesh became the three-day reigning champion after winning with $11,999. His total is now $53,099.

A booby is a seabird whose name is derived from the Spanish word 'bobo,' meaning clumsy or clown.

There are six species of booby, including the blue-footed booby, red-footed booby, and brown booby.

The funny answer comes after viewers criticized the ABC game show for becoming 'way too difficult' following a string of 'brutal' questions last week. 

The moment delighted viewers across the nation, who praised Ken for his delivery

A brown booby flies over Itauna beach during in the city of Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro state

Players Zach Eckstein, Nella Ballauer, and Jay Fisher racked up near record-breaking 21 triple stumpers after Ken presented them with several tricky clues.

Viewers were in shock at the 'rough set of clues' and claimed it was far too challenging.

'I'll never be on Jeopardy! but man what a rough night to be on, category wise. Brutal,' wrote one viewer on Reddit.

Another agreed: 'God damn that was a rough set of clues. Not just for the contestants either - there were so many responses I've never heard of in my life.'