‘Jeopardy!’ Champion Juveria Zaheer’s Brother Was ‘Evil Mastermind’ on ‘Survivor’
Juveria Zaheer made the most of her return to Jeopardy! in December when she smashed through the competition to win the first finals of the Second Chance tournament. But she isn’t the only member of her family to have success on a popular game show.
During her first Jeopardy! episode, which aired back on May 8, 2023, Juveria gave an impressive performance but came up short against super-champ Hannah Wilson. But it was during that episode when Juveria revealed to host Ken Jennings that her brother was an “evil mastermind” on Survivor.
It’s true, Juveria’s brother is Omar Zaheer, who competed on Survivor 42 back in 2022. A veterinarian from Whitby, Ontario, Omar was considered one of the biggest strategic threats on the season and made it all the way to sixth place before he was blindsided by his ally and eventual winner, Maryanne Oketch.
“Finally coming to terms with being ‘Omar’s much less famous sister.’ Pray for my ego,” Juveria tweeted during her brother’s time on Survivor, poking fun at herself and the situation.
Robert Voets/CBS Entertainment
However, given her star-making performance in her return to the Alex Trebek stage, Juveria has given Omar a run for his money in terms of popularity and fan support.
On December 25, 2023, Juveria reshared her old tweet with the “eyes looking” emoji. For some, this was the first time they’d learned of the Jeopardy! champ’s connection to Survivor, and many agreed she had surpassed her brother’s achievements.
During the two-day Second Chance final, Juveria secured the victory with an impressive total of $70,800. She also became the fourth woman to break $50,000 in a single game, with $51,200 in her first final win.
— Juveria Zaheer (@juveriazaheer) December 26, 2023
“Me thinks the script has been flipped. Prove me wrong,” replied fellow Jeopardy! contestant Tommy Zee.
“Time to add jeopardy legend to your Twitter bio,” added Survivor: David vs. Goliath castaway Gabby Pascuzzi.
“Who is Omar?” joked another commenter.
— Juveria Zaheer (@juveriazaheer) December 27, 2023
In his official CBS bio, Omar said, “I also admire my older sister very much because she often acted as a parent towards my younger sister and I but had no one to look up to herself. She’s always been there for us emotionally, financially, or with whatever we need.”
He added, “She has risen to be a top emergency psychiatrist in Toronto, and that work with mental health is so important.”
Jeopardy, Inc!
After her epic win on the December 20 episode, Juveria and Omar took to the Jeopardy! Reddit forum, where fans learned of their connection.
“Wait, are you two related?” asked one commenter, to which Juveria replied, “That’s my baby bro! Or as he likes to say, I’m his “much much older sister.””
“Holy s***??? I loved watching you in 42 and your sister absolutely destroyed this episod,” another user told Omar. “Slaying game shows must run in the family.”
“ARE YOU KIDDING I’M LOSING MY S***,” wrote another.
Following the praise for Juveria’s Jeopardy! performance, Omar wrote, “She’s pretty cool but my favorite is still @James_Holzhauer.”
She’s pretty cool but my favorite is still @James_Holzhauer #jeopardy https://t.co/fG9Qs30rZ4
— Omar Ahmad Zaheer, DVM (@omarzaheerdvm) December 23, 2023
After winning the Second Chance tournament, Juveria secured her place in the upcoming Champions Wildcard, where she will face off against the three other Second Chance winners and returning champions from Season 39. The winner(s) of the Wildcard competition will earn a spot in the Tournament of Champions.
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