Colby Burnett is the primary Jeopardy! contestant to win each the Academics’ Event in 2012 and the Event of Champions in 2013. Most not too long ago, Burnett was within the 2024 Invitational Event. Throughout his first look, he was a highschool trainer from Oak Park, Illinois. Now, he’s a School Counselor at ITW David Speer Academy in Chicago. Burnett appeared on the Inform Us About Your self Podcast on February 1 and defined how the sport present modified his relationships for the higher…and was liable for him assembly his future spouse.
Burnett revealed that he typically will get acknowledged after his appearances on the sport present and he’s joyful to have individuals attain out to him as a result of nobody “has been bizarre.” He additionally instructed the host, Christian Carrion, that he “can vanish into the ether in his day-to-day life,” however being on Jeopardy! is the “reward that retains on giving”, particularly when individuals come to him to speak in regards to the present and the way he purchased his mother a home in Chicago along with his winnings.
He revealed that he was met with some reluctance as a result of his mother didn’t need him to spend all of his cash on her, however, he wished to do it as a result of she by no means had a home of her personal. Burnett and his mother lived in his grandparents’ home rising up.
“The $100,000 I received, minus taxes, paid for that place. I used to be in a spot in my life the place I might say ‘if I do something with these winnings, I’m getting my mother a home,” Burnett stated on the podcast.
The Jeopardy! alum stated that the “neighborhood is gorgeous” and “there aren’t many villains.”
“Once I go searching I’m a bunch of pals and might make new ones simply,” he stated.
One buddy that he made by the present is Ben Ingram, who’s the Event of Champions winner season after Burnett. They met one another on set and “have been pals ever since.”
“It popped out of nowhere,” Burnett shared.
“He acknowledged me and we invited one another to our weddings. I had no thought it will be like this.”
Burnett shared that him, Ingram, and different Jeopardy! contestants stayed related on Zoom throughout pandemic, the place they might speak and play video games.
The sport present contestant stated that he didn’t have loads of pals as a child and was thought-about a “nerd.”
“So I used to be glad I had that group to fall again on,” he stated.
Burnett additionally has Jeopardy! to thank for locating his spouse, Janet Wasilewski, whom he married in 2022. His now-step-daughter instructed her mother to succeed in out to Burnett after she noticed him on Jeopardy!. She messaged him on social media, they met, and are actually married.
“I’ll all the time be pleased about assembly my spouse and sustaining a powerful group of pals due to the present,” he stated.
Nevertheless, Burnett was okay with not having loads of pals when he was youthful as a result of he grew up in a “tough neighborhood.” The individuals he did know received concerned with medication, which was one thing he was not curious about. His mother gave him encyclopedia to feed his mind and keep out of hassle.
“The present has given my mom a house. It has given me a household, and it has established a large circle of pals. It introduced me the precise stage of fame that I wished in my life,” he stated.
When Burnett goes to cons, he stated that two out of 80,000 individuals will come as much as him and he’s content material with that. “I’m so glad it’s two and never two thousand.”
Burnett ended the podcast by saying that he was grateful that he received to speak to former host Alex Trebek about his mother and was touched that he requested about her.
Inform Us About Your self is a podcast that interviews recreation present contestants. New episodes drop each Friday.