Pete Johnston competed in opposition to tremendous champion Scott Riccardi on Jeopardy! Tuesday, July 15. The stress was excessive as Riccardi was already an eight-day champion on the time. (He’s at the moment 11-wins in). Johnston opened up about assembly host Ken Jennings, his time on the sport present, and extra in a brand new interview.
The Michigan State College professor instructed WKAR that Jeopardy! is like “summer season camp for nerdy trivia of us.” It was an excellent factor Johnston positioned second after attempting to get on Jeopardy! for six years as a result of he had set low expectations of himself. This allowed him to get pleasure from his expertise it doesn’t matter what place he got here in. Johnston ended with $12,601 in second place after getting the ultimate clue proper.
“I simply needed to buzz in as soon as and get one query proper and name a class with out, , making some verbal gaffe or no matter,” Johnston stated. As a result of he did that, the Jeopardy! contestant thought of his recreation successful. “And most of all, I simply had a lot enjoyable, and I bought to satisfy different contestants. All people there’s sort of into Jeopardy! simply as a lot as you’re, and prepared to sort of get in and the nitty gritty of the sport and type of break issues down. And it was so enjoyable.”
He was knowledgeable in March that he can be on the present and stated it was a surreal expertise. Johnston detailed how he auditioned for Jeopardy! and what the following phases are after getting the preliminary interview. “There may be the Anytime Take a look at on-line that people can take in the event that they’re curious. And I’ve been taking that for about annually for the final 5 or 6 years, however I’ve by no means gone to the following stage. There’s one other check, a second stage within the course of, after which the third stage is a Zoom mock recreation the place you’re taking part in in opposition to different contestants, potential contestants, and also you’re buzzing in in your pen in your front room, they usually’re type of seeing the way you do within the stress of a recreation atmosphere,” Johnston instructed WKAR.
“That stage, they are saying, ‘Okay, now, we would name you within the subsequent two years, or we would not.’ After which, lo and behold, they gave me a name in March to see if I might have the ability to tape.” After getting the decision again, Johnston brushed up on subjects like literature, geography, and historical past.
For somebody who’s a giant fan of Jeopardy! as Johnston is, he stated being on set and assembly Ken Jennings was a dream come true.
“Being on set was totally surreal and unbelievable. It was like I used to be in 5D,” Johnston stated. “I had gone past the tv display, and I used to be inside the present that I’ve grown up watching my entire life.” His girlfriend wasn’t capable of make the taping, so she was the primary one he instructed. He additionally instructed his dad and mom and siblings to tune in, so conserving his time on the present a secret wasn’t laborious.
“Ken Jennings is an utter skilled and only a consummate human being and such a gifted host, humorous, fast on his toes, but in addition beneficiant and gracious. And he met with the contestants in the beginning began to simply give us some phrases of encouragement, and he was entertaining the studio viewers in between,” he stated.
“Throughout industrial breaks, he would reply questions, and so up till the top of the day, which is a full day, he was actually simply sort of giving his all into making Jeopardy! America’s quiz present, and simply, , a present that could be a legendary staple for thus many good causes.”
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