How Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel clashed on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Details explored

Ken Jennings and Matt Damon on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (Image via Instagram/@millionairetv)
Ken Jennings and Matt Damon on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (Image via Instagram/@millionairetv)

The latest episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? was released on July 30, 2025. It saw Matt Damon and Ken Jennings answer the $1 million question. While they did stumble on certain questions, their skillful use of lifelines saved them.

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What made the episode a fun watch was the faux feud between Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel, the show's host. When Matt and Ken won the episode, the confetti came out, and Jimmy handed them the oversized check. Then, while shaking Matt's hand, Jimmy said,

"I'm begrudgingly going to shake your hand," referring to their long-reigning feud.

Matt and Jimmy's feud started in 2005, on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! The two of them have been jokingly feuding ever since. The latest episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? served as a testament to it, as the two kept taking digs at each other.

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The digs that Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel took at each other on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Inviting Matt Damon to Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? was Jimmy's idea. Long ago, when Ken ran into Kimmel at a cancer fundraiser in UCLA, the latter said it would be funny to call an A-lister to the show alongside the Jeopardy! winner. The latter agreed, but didn't think Jimmy was going to take it seriously.

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Cut to the time when Ken discovered that Jimmy got Matt on the show. The Jason Bourne actor, on learning about his co-contestant, told Jimmy that the situation was similar to being asked to play basketball with Michael Jordan. He explained Jennings was like the Michael Jordan of trivia. Taking a dig at Ken, Jimmy stated,

"I look at it as if Michael Jordan showed up with a hemorrhoid."
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Then, when Matt showed excitement about being on the game show, Jimmy said that it wasn't his show, referring to his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! Matt took a dig back, saying Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? was way better than his show.

Before all this happened, when Ken and Matt entered the show, Matt came with a long beard that he had probably kept for his recent role in The Odyssey. Jimmy welcomed them, saying,

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"Ken and what appears to be a yak are in the hot seat."

He jokingly asked Matt what was going on with the beard and if he was waiting to shave till the FBI read him a manifesto. He mockingly added that he didn't believe Matt continued to get movies. He stated that since their purpose on the show was to win money for charity, he would allow his participation "begrudgingly".

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What were the final two questions for Matt Damon and Ken Jennings on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Ken and Matt ended up getting stuck on the penultimate question for $500,000. So they decided to take their 'As a host' lifeline, which makes the host, i.e., Jimmy, assist them with the answer. The question was,

"With another career path already established, who got his first taste of the entertainment world when he entered a Steve Martin look-alike contest?"
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Their four options were Dr. Oz, Jerry Springer, Bill Nye, and Anthony Bourdain. Jimmy gave them the correct answer, Bill Nye, so they moved forward to the last, $1 million question.

"Which of these words is often used to describe one of the most beautiful auditory effects on Earth: the sound made by the leaves of trees when wind blows through them?"
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The options for this one were Apricity, Petrichor, Susurrus, and Eudaemonia. However, just to be sure, they used their '50:50' lifeline. Ken correctly guessed the word to be Susurrus, and the duo won their episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?


For more updates on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, fans can follow the show's official Instagram, @millionairetv.

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Edited by Shweta Zaveri
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