45 Facts You Never Knew About Jeopardy! And Its Contestants

The wildly popular game show has also won 39 Daytime Emmy Awards. Its most famous host, Alex Trebek, was the face of the show for four decades until his death in November 2020. Though no one could ever replace Trebek, his legacy will live on as long as the show does. To celebrate Trebek and the game show that captivated the world, we’re revealing 45 facts few people know about Jeopardy! 

Enter Jeopardy!. Network executives fell in love with the idea and immediately ran the show in 1964. It continued for 11 years but was later canceled and then rebranded. Since it wasn’t the same as before, it fizzled until Alex Trebek arrived as the new host. This is where things get interesting. 

The show tried to cash in on the popularity of board games such as Trivial Pursuit as it helped people become interested in the question-and-answer format. Though Merv Griffin was working on the equally successful Wheel of Fortune, he decided to give Jeopardy! another go. His risk paid off.

The show intentionally built the host’s dressing room far from those of the contestants. This meant that both only saw each other when they were already on-stage and about to play the game. This practice began when Alex Trebek was hired to be the host.

Since the program was filmed live, commercials were included in the schedule of the day. Once the director yelled, “all clear,” Alex Trebek would exit the stage immediately. He was never once seen talking to the show’s contestants.

The clues fill all the monitors, making it easy for the contestants to read them. Lights also flash immediately when the host reads a clue. When the final flash of light goes off, the contestants know they can buzz in and share their answers.

Ken kept coming back to the show, and people loved him more each time. So far, Jennings has been seen in the show’s Ultimate Tournament of Champions. He also appeared in the show’s “Greatest of All Time.” He was eventually hired to be a consulting producer in 2020.

Another prank occurred in 2005 when the Ultimate Tournament of Champions episode saw contestants take off their pants on-air in an effort to relieve their tension. Alex Trebek decided to remove his pants too, but it was later revealed on-air that everything was a prank all along.

When 12-year old contestant Thomas Hurley misspelled “emancipation” during the final round, viewers thought he would be given a free pass for the minor error. Unfortunately, the show’s judges decided it was incorrect. He lost, and his opponent brought home the $66,000 prize.

He later got into a Family-Feud-style show called Pitfall and then a game similar to Hollywood Squares called Battlestars. You would think he would stop, but his next attempt was with a game show called Malcolm where he talked with a cartoon character.

Fortunately, the creator of Jeopardy! had seen Trebek host another game show called High Rollers. He considered Lucille Ball’s suggestion and took Trebek in as the host. Rumors abound that Ball once appeared as a contestant on Jeopardy! but no footage proves if it is indeed true. 

Trebek revealed that his reactions are spontaneous and not at all planned. However, he does admit that he is conscious and aware when he is harsh. He does have very few filters but makes it a point to not put contestants down.

The next step is a live three-part audition. Twenty to thirty contestants participate in a mock game that involves buzzers and a board similar to the real thing. Scores are not given out. Instead, contestants are gauged based on how they perform. The final stage is an interview with the producers of the show.

During the game, the host gives contestants the chance for viewers to get to know them more. To make this easier, Alex Trebek is given cards filled with facts from the contestants’ lives. He then chooses cards randomly to reveal during the show.

When they do get a call, that does not mean they will definitely appear on the show. Usually, they will be placed in a pool of 100,000 people similarly eager to be on the program. However, a mere 3,000 will get a response from producers, and only 300 will make it to Jeopardy!. 

Most of his donations were awarded to the University of Ottawa where the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue is run. The host gave almost $10 million to jump-start and keep the program going. He also donated a million dollars to Fordham University’s scholarship program. 

According to James, his parents taught him the value of being frugal. Though he does make sure to enjoy some of life’s luxuries, he utilizes math each day to ensure that he is not overspending.

He also admitted that he didn’t like homework because he believed the exercises and assignments he was expected to do were useless. James also intentionally skipped most of his classes. Instead, he preferred to spend his time playing online poker.

According to his math coach, James was most comfortable and confident in two-person competitions. Clearly, this history was an early indicator that James had a bright future ahead of him as a wealthy Jeopardy! champion.

He promised her that he would one day be on the show. In an interview with Vulture, James emphasized that he does not promise anything unless he is sure he will be able to fulfill it. Though it took him more than two decades to get on Jeopardy!, he held true to his promise.

James admitted that most of what he knows was collected from reading books found in the children’s section. James would go to libraries and read all the information available in children’s books. He said he enjoyed the fun way facts are presented in picture books as it makes the information easier to remember.

He held a job with Major League Baseball, working at one of its front offices. He also tried to apply for an actuary job. However, when he learned that the profession required him to be tied to a desk most of the day, he knew he couldn’t stay in such a career for very long.

Eventually, he decided to become a professional gambler. He would spend many hours collecting data on baseball and entering all this information into a spreadsheet. He then placed bets based on the data he gathered.

James made use of his experience to hone his skills. In The Chaser, he was able to break records when he answered twelve questions during the money-building round. He later answered all 19 questions, which allowed him to beat The Chaser.

Though he was called by the producers two times to attend in-person auditions, he never received a callback. While he waited, he made good use of the time by making a buzzer and practicing his buzzing skills. He also gathered a lot of data for every Jeopardy! category.

James took his gambling career to heart, and luckily for him, his wife is happy to support this dream. She was okay with moving to Las Vegas. According to James, he is “very proud” of his work and feels no regrets about his decision.

Jeopardy! records show that Roger earned the largest sum of money in a single game when he received $77,000. Though James had to participate in four games to beat Roger, he eventually pocketed $110,914. According to James, Roger congratulated him for winning.

James actually used his nephew’s birthday – March 22, 2008 – for the bet. Later, he made another bet in honor of his niece. Specifically, his $110,914 bet, which allowed him to beat Roger Craig’s record, was based on his niece’s November 9, 2014, birthday.

There was even a group of people who gathered together, calling themselves Holzhauer Haters. They may have been envious of James’ wins, or perhaps they simply disliked his personality. Either way, they were convinced James had been up to something fishy and that this was the basis of his success. 

Eventually, Emma emerged ahead of James in the game. In the final tally, he was not able to beat Emma’s score. The Holzhauer Haters must have loved her! While James lost to Emma that day, he was still the game’s most successful contestant as he won an average of $77,000 each time he competed.

Though James received a novelty check that included the total amount of his winnings, the actual amount he took home was another story. It did not help that Jeopardy! was filmed in California – the state with the highest income tax. According to the New York Post, James had to pay taxes totaling $1.2 million.

Judges determine the fate of contestants’ responses. Who are these people that hold the contestants’ future in the palm of their hands? As it turns out, the show’s writers and executive producers get to make the final decision about whether to allow a contestant’s response to pass or fail. 

Remarkably, Merv was able to create the tune in less than one minute. The tune’s original title was “A Time for Tony,” and it was meant to be a lullaby for Merv’s son. However, the music was retitled “Think!” and was later used for the show. According to The New York Times, the music had earned Griffin $80 million by 2005 – all from a mere thirty seconds of play time each episode.

Anytime all game show players go home with $0 at the end of the episode, this means that three new players are to be seen in the next show. This wasn’t uncommon as there were contestants who bet all they had but unfortunately gave a wrong answer. 

They will fill out paperwork, meet fellow contestants, and practice sharing something about themselves with Alex Trebek. Contestants are also required to bring two outfits as multiple episodes are filmed in one day. 

At that time, they counted a total of 6,829 episodes. The number increased as he continued hosting. Trebek was lighthearted about his win, commenting that as long as he continued to be the Jeopardy! host, he would be able to hold onto his record.

Those who are in the second spot receive $2,000. Meanwhile, third placers receive $1,000. These contestants always receive their prize by check. However, they don’t get this payment until their episode has been aired. This means some are left waiting weeks before they receive their prize money.

What Jeopardy! does give out, though, is a commemorative photo of each contestant with the show’s host. This token is a far cry from what the game show used to give out – Turtle Wax or Rice-a-Roni. Plus, the photo comes with its very own Jeopardy! frame.

In an announcement, he declared that he would fight the illness. Eventually, he learned that his cancer had come back. Still, Alex continued on as host and returned to the show on October 29, 2020. Less than a month later, on November 8, he died peacefully in his home.

His second is Matthew, who is now a Mexican food restaurateur. His youngest, Emily, is a real estate agent and house flipper. She works in California and has fond memories of fixing up different houses with her dad. Understandably, Trebek’s family were all in mourning. 

Rumors circulated that George Stephanopoulos would fill the empty seat left by Trebek. Other names included were Betty White, Laura Coates, and Ken Jennings. Out of all the people mentioned, Jennings is the one who had the most experience with the show. 

His controversial online statements came as the show was looking for stand-in hosts as well as a permanent replacement for Trebek. Ken was in the running until numerous people dug up previous tweets in which he made offensive remarks. 

The following year saw Ken poke fun at a Star Wars fan who was terminally ill yet was able to watch the movie, The Force Awakens. Unfortunately, Ken refused to release any apology, explanation, or any kind words related to the incident.

Though Bean Dad declared that he was trying to build his son’s character, not all agreed with his approach. Some accused Bead Dad, also known as “Apocalypse Dad,” of child abuse. However, Ken Jennings seems to disagree. The two now co-host a podcast, and Ken is quick to defend John. Jennings explained that Bean Dad exaggerates his stories for the purpose of entertainment.

However, Ken finally issued an apology for his statements. In January 2021, he admitted to the “dumb things” he used to say “in a dumb way.” He also expressed his desire “to apologize” to those he offended. Was this apology heartfelt, though? Or did Ken just want to land the hosting position?  

The past tweets of Ken Jennings definitely landed him in some hot water. This just proves that you must always be careful of what your tweet. However, after weeks of going back and forth over who should have Jeopardy! hosting responsibilities, producers went back to Jennings who now shares the gig with Mayim Bialik from Big Bang Theory fame. The two will co-host through the end of the season, but who knows who the next host may be.