Show Details: 2026
2026-01-03
That big ball in Times Square doesn't drop until it hears me count down from tenBill Kurtis
- Pedro Pascal Score: 3
- Chris Perfetti Score: 3
- Heather Gay Score: 3
Best Of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by revisiting of all the fun from 2025
Tom Papa was the guest host for the 2025-08-09 show with Pedro Pascal as the Not My Job guest.
The Bluff the Listener segment came from the show that aired on 2025-03-22.
Negin Farsad was the guest host for the 2025-06-14 show with Chris Perfetti as the Not My Job guest.
Alzo Slade was the guest scorekeeper for the 2025-08-02 show with Heather Gay as the Not My Job guest.
As of 2026-01-10, this episode has not made it on to the podcast feeds. The full show audio is available on the episode's page on NPR.org.
2026-01-10
I'm the voice so rich, it makes you sign a pre-nupBill Kurtis
-
Rank:
First:
Paula Poundstone
Total: 14
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 6
-
Rank:
Second:
Roy Blount, Jr.
Total: 12
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 5
-
Rank:
Third:
Joyelle Nicole Johnson
Total: 8
Lightning Start: 4 Correct: 2
- Delroy Lindo Score: 2
Who's Bill This Time?; Panel Questions; Bluff the Listener about an unlikely hero saving lives; Not My Job about the New Orleans Saints; Panel Questions; Listener Limerick Challenge; Lightning Fill In The Blank; Panelist Predictions: now that we have a new food pyramid, what will be the next new food to go on sale?
Delroy Lindo asked the audience for help on the second Not My Job question. The audience yelled out "B", which Delroy chose as his answer and it was the correct answer.
While explaining the story behind the second limerick for Listener Limerick Challenge, Peter Sagal had a verbal slip by saying "Dick and Chain" instead of "Dick and Jane".
2026-01-17
I'm the voice so smooth, lullabies listen to me to fall asleepBill Kurtis
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Rank:
First:
Luke Burbank
Total: 12
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 5
-
Rank:
Second:
Hari Kondabolu
Total: 11
Lightning Start: 3 Correct: 4
-
Rank:
Third:
Rachel Coster
Total: 10
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 4
- Kali Reis Score: 3
Who's Bill This Time?; Panel Questions; Bluff the Listener about a celebrity encounter; Not My Job about the Consumer Electronics Show; Panel Questions; Listener Limerick Challenge; Lightning Fill In The Blank; Panelist Predictions: what we'll find when we travel back to the Moon
2026-01-24
My voice is the only set of pipes in America that's not freezing this weekendBill Kurtis
-
Rank:
First:
Adam Burke
Total: 13
Lightning Start: 3 Correct: 5
-
Rank:
Second:
Mo Rocca
Total: 12
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 5
-
Rank:
Third:
Shantira Jackson
Total: 8
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 3
- Kevin O'Leary Score: 2
Who's Bill This Time?; Panel Questions; Bluff the Listener about innovation in stadiums; Not My Job about the biggest parties ever; Panel Questions; Listener Limerick Challenge; Lightning Fill In The Blank; Panelist Predictions: now that they can use tools, what'll be the next surprising thing cows do?
2026-01-31
It's cold out there. But, don't worry, I'm still hotBill Kurtis
-
Rank:
First:
Negin Farsad
Total: 15
Lightning Start: 3 Correct: 6
-
Rank:
Second Tied:
Peter Grosz
Total: 10
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 4
-
Rank:
Second Tied:
Annie Rauwerda
Total: 10
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 4
- Jon M. Chu Score: 3
Who's Bill This Time?; Panel Questions; Bluff the Listener about a surprising new international tourist attraction; Not My Job about Boston, Massachusetts; Panel Questions; Listener Limerick Challenge; Lightning Fill In The Blank; Panelist Predictions: now that we know trees can explode, what will trees do next?
2026-02-07
I'm the reason everybody's throwing Super Bill parties this weekendBill Kurtis
-
Rank:
First:
Josh Gondelman
Total: 15
Lightning Start: 3 Correct: 6
-
Rank:
Second:
Tig Notaro
Total: 13
Lightning Start: 1 Correct: 6
-
Rank:
Third:
Tom Bodett
Total: 11
Lightning Start: 3 Correct: 4
- Mychal Threets Score: 2
Who's Bill This Time?; Panel Questions; Bluff the Listener about a secret revealed in the news; Not My Job about Skittles; Panel Questions; Listener Limerick Challenge; Lightning Fill In the Blank; Panelist Predictions: what Super Bowl commercial we'll all be talking about next week?
Another instance where all three choices for the third Not My Job question were correct.
2026-02-14
Hey there, Cupid. Put down that arrow and let me voice pierce some heartsBill Kurtis
-
Rank:
First:
Paula Poundstone
Total: 13
Lightning Start: 3 Correct: 5
-
Rank:
Second:
Beth Stelling
Total: 12
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 5
-
Rank:
Third:
Tom Papa
Total: 11
Lightning Start: 1 Correct: 5
- Arden Cho Score: 2
Who's Bill This TIme?; Panel Questions; Bluff the Listener about a news story inspired by a movie; Not My Job about K-Mart; Panel Questions; Listener Limerick Challenge; Lightning Fill In The Blank; Panelist Predictions: what will be the big story out of the final week of the Olympics?
2026-02-21
I'm the man who does quadruple axels with my voiceBill Kurtis
- Roy Choi Score: 2
- Ally the Piper (Ally Crowley-Duncan) Score: 2
- Cynthia Nixon Score: 2
Best Of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! where we give out our own Olympic gold medals to some of our favorite guests and segments of the past year
Alzo Slade was the guest scorekeeper for the 2025-11-08 show with Roy Choi as the Not My Job guest and the included Bluff the Listener segment.
The first portion of the included Panel Questions segment was from the 2026-01-10 show. The second and third portions were from the 2025-12-20 with additional content that was cut for time or other reasons.
2026-03-07
I'm the voice so powerful, I command the clocks to spring forwardBill Kurtis
-
Rank:
First:
Hari Kondabolu
Total: 17
Lightning Start: 3 Correct: 7
-
Rank:
Second:
Negin Farsad
Total: 12
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 5
-
Rank:
Third:
Luke Burbank
Total: 11
Lightning Start: 3 Correct: 4
- Jason Benetti Score: 2
Who's Bill This Time?; Panel Questions; Bluff the Listener about a time out in the news; Not My Job about confetti; Panel Questions; Listener Limerick Challenge; Lightning Fill In The Blank; Panelist Predictions: after looksmaxxing, what will be next big internet beauty trend?
When the Bluff the Listener contestant said that they were from Indiana, Peter Sagal said that he said that she didn't see the listener when they taped in Bloomington, Indiana the prior week. The contestant said that they asked Peter a question during the Q&A session after the taping finished.
When Peter listed the teams that Jason Benetti had been announcers for, someone booed after the Detroit Tigers were mentioned. Jason said that they were saying "Luke". This is in reference to the audience chanting "Luke", which sounds like they are booing Luke Burbank. Of course, people could be booing as well not knowing the lore behind the "Luke" chant.
2026-03-14
I'm Alzo Slade filling in for Bill Kurtis, who flew to LA to accept the Oscar for Best PipesGuest: Alzo Slade
-
Rank:
First:
Adam Felber
Total: 13
Lightning Start: 5 Correct: 4
-
Rank:
Second:
Rachel Coster
Total: 11
Lightning Start: 1 Correct: 5
-
Rank:
Third:
Joyelle Nicole Johnson
Total: 8
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 3
- John Cusack Score: 3
Who's Alzo This Time?; Panel Questions; Bluff the Listener about something 30 years in the making; Not My Job about people who should have stayed quiet; Panel Questions; Listener Limerick Challenge; Lightning Fill In The Blank; Panelist Predictions: what will be the big surprise at this year's Oscar ceremony?
Joyelle Nicole Johnson answered her third Lightning Fill In The Blank question with "Pill". Peter Sagal responded with "Sure, what the hell" and gave Joyelle credit for her answer.
2026-03-21
I'm the voice so hot, the mic could drop itselfBill Kurtis
-
Rank:
First:
Paula Poundstone
Total: 16
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 7
-
Rank:
Second:
Shane Torres
Total: 15
Lightning Start: 3 Correct: 6
-
Rank:
Third:
Alonzo Bodden
Total: 11
Lightning Start: 3 Correct: 4
- Aasif Mandvi Score: 2
Who's Bill This Time?; Panel Questions; Bluff the Listener about someone's first trip to New York City; Not My Job about wedding cakes; Panel Questions; Listener Limerick Challenge; Lightning Fill In The Blank; Panelist Predictions: now that his identity has been revealed, what will Banksy do next?
Aasif Mandvi initially chose "B" for the third Not My Job question. The audience started shouting out "C" and Aasif switched his answer to "C". "C" was the correct answer.
During Lightning Fill In The Blank, Alonzo Bodden mentioned that his mind was slightly pre-occupied by NCAA's March Madness. The third Lightning question that Shane Torres was about March Madness.
2026-03-28
I'm Alzo Slade, the they they bring in when Bill Kurtis is stuck in the TSA line back homeGuest: Alzo Slade
-
Rank:
First Tied:
Shantira Jackson
Total: 12
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 5
-
Rank:
First Tied:
Joyelle Nicole Johnson
Total: 12
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 5
-
Rank:
Third:
Adam Burke
Total: 9
Lightning Start: 3 Correct: 3
- D. W. Moffett Score: 2
Who's Alzo This Time?; Panel Questions; Bluff the Listener about a hot new dining destination; Not My Job about melees; Panel Questions; Listener Limerick Challenge; Lightning Fill In The Blank; Panelist Predictions: after the Bachelorette, what will be the next TV series to get cancelled at the last minute?
After Alzo Slade said that Joyelle Nicole Johnson answered five of her Lightning Fill In The Blank questions correct, Joyelle said, "That's the most I've ever gotten right, Peter!". Joyelle has actually correctly answered six Lightning Fill In The blank questions three times before on the shows that aired on 2024-11-23, 2024-12-14 and 2025-05-03.
When Peter Sagal asked Alzo if Adam Burke did well enough to win, before Alzo could response, someone in the audience audibly said "No".
2026-04-04
Hey, Easter Bunny. Fill your giant ears with my voiceBill Kurtis
-
Rank:
First Tied:
Rachel Coster
Total: 10
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 4
-
Rank:
First Tied:
Joyelle Nicole Johnson
Total: 10
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 4
-
Rank:
First Tied:
Peter Grosz
Total: 10
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 4
- Olivia Munn Score: 3
Who's Bill This Time?; Panel Questions; Bluff the Listener about someone's crazy four day experience; Not My Job about the sitcom "Friends" and the soap opera "Neighbours"; Panel Questions; Listener Limerick Challenge; Lightning Fill In The Blank; Panelist Predictions: after turning up at the Supreme Court, what surprising place where we see Trump next?
For the first Not My Job question, the audience yelled out what sounded like "C" but Olivia Munn couldn't distinguish if the audience were yelling "B" or "C". Olivia asked them to yell "Banana" for "B" or "Cat" for "C". The audience yelled out "Cat", though Olivia then said that it distinguishing between "Banana" and "Cat" from the stage was difficult. Olivia went with "C", which was the correct answer. The first and third Not My Job questions were about "Friends" and the second question was about "Neighbours".
When Negin Farsad asked how did Peter Grosz did, Bill Kurtis said, "Well, in my 12 years here, we've never had a three-way tie." This was the second time where all three panelists started and ended in a three-way tie, but the first time it happened with Bill as the scorekeeper. The first time all three panelists started and ended in a three-way tie was on the 2003-03-22 show with Carl Kasell as the scorekeeper.
It was also not the first time where all three panelists ended in a three-way tie where Bill was the scorekeeper, but rather the fifth time. The previous four times that it happened with Bill as the scorekeeper were: 2014-09-06, 2015-11-07, 2019-03-09, and 2023-07-22.
2026-04-11
I'm the seven-time winner of the Fort Lauderdale Wet Blazer ContestBill Kurtis
- Delroy Lindo Score: 2
- Rhea Seehorn Score: 3
- Andy Richter Score: 3
- Jon M. Chu Score: 3
Best Of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! with special guests and favorite moments with the panel from the past year while we're on Spring Break
Alzo Slade was the guest scorekeeper for the 2025-12-06 show with Andy Richter as the Not My Job guest.
For the second clip included in the Panel Questions segment, Negin Farsad was the guest host for the 2026-04-04 show where the original audio would have come from.
For the third clip included in the Panel Questions segment, the panelists would be Paula Poundstone, Alonzo Bodden and Shane Torres when they were on the 2026-03-21 where the original audio would have come from. The NPR transcripts for this show lists the voices as being Peter Grosz's and Alzo Slade's.
2026-04-18
I'm the guy they bring in when Bill Kurtis gets busted for claiming Peter as a dependentGuest: Alzo Slade
-
Rank:
First:
Alonzo Bodden
Total: 14
Lightning Start: 4 Correct: 5
-
Rank:
Second:
Adam Burke
Total: 13
Lightning Start: 3 Correct: 5
-
Rank:
Third:
Dulcé Sloan
Total: 11
Lightning Start: 5 Correct: 3
- Phil Pritchard Score: 2
Who's Alzo This Time?; Panel Questions; Bluff the Listener about someone missing a huge opportunity; Not My Job about National Historic Landmarks; The Trump Dump; Panel Questions; Listener Limerick Challenge; Lightning Fill In The Blank; Panelist Predictions: after all the food left behind in fridges, what will be the next reason Airbnb is in the news?
2026-04-25
Screw you, seasonal allergies. I'm the voice so fine, even my sneezes sound like musicBill Kurtis
-
Rank:
First Tied:
Shantira Jackson
Total: 14
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 6
-
Rank:
First Tied:
Katie Nolan
Total: 14
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 6
-
Rank:
Third:
Josh Gondelman
Total: 8
Lightning Start: 2 Correct: 3
- Father James Martin Score: 3
Who's Bill This Time?; Panel Questions; Bluff the Listener about a once in a lifetime job opening; Not My Job about stadium concessions; Panel Questions; Listener Limerick Challenge; Lightning Fill In The Blank; Panelist Predictions: what will be the next thing that robots beat us at?
For the third Who's Bill This Time? question, the listener answered with "Cooking" but Tom Papa said "Drinking?". Shantira Jackson commented by saying "Cooking. She said cooking.". Tom Papa then said "You said, 'cooking'? Drinking, you're right!".