'Jeopardy' champ removes wig to 'normalize what cancer recovery looks like'

A Jeopardy contestant has received an overwhelming flood of support after removing her wig and revealing that she is in recovery from cancer.

Christine Whelchel, a church organist and piano teacher from Spring Hill, Tennessee, appeared on the hit gameshow last week sporting a shoulder-length hairstyle.

However, on Monday's show, she proudly showed off a significantly shorter hairstyle - something that host Ken Jennings was quick to start a conversation over the difference in appearance.

"If you watched last week you might notice that Christine looks a little different today," Jennings said, before directing Whelchel to explain to the viewers the story behind her new look.

"After winning, I decided I didn’t need to hide behind the wig anymore," she explained, adding, "and I want to normalize what going through cancer recovery really looks like."

Following the show, the official Jeopardy! Twitter account shared a clip of Whelchel's appearance on the show, writing alongside the video: "A strong Jeopardy! player and an even stronger person."

Following the post, a number of viewers took to social media to praise Whelchel's courage and share their own stories.

Sharing their own selfie, one person tweeted: "Yeah, go grrrl! I was diagnosed in May 2021 and who has time for wigs! We look fab! Spend that money on something amazing!"

A second Twitter user added: "Rockin’ that post-chemo look, Christine. Here’s me, 6 years ago, and happily now 6 years NED. Congrats, and best of luck on #Jeopardy and to being a long-term survivor."

And a third wrote: "Go go go, Christine! This was me with my husband, 3 months after my last chemo session!"

And the praise and support just kept coming:

It's amazing to see the difference representation in the media can make to people. As one Twitter user wrote: "Thank you for sharing this. As one who is in the same boat (albeit without a wig) I love to see someone rocking the cancer stubble."

Whelchel had been receiving treatment for breast cancer, and has stated that she is "cancer-free as of right now".

As of this writing, Whelchel's winnings currently stand at over $73,000!

We wish her all the best with her continued recovery.

Featured image credit: Jeopardy Productions, Inc/Twitter