“Jeopardy!” champion Ray Lalonde is spilling some on-set secrets after winning 13 consecutive games.
Lalonde won $386,400 in his impressive streak, and he isn’t letting his exit from the quiz show on the Jan. 3 episode get him down. He said he was having “too much fun” to let the loss bother him.
The Canadian, who creates film sets, told Toronto Life last week he took the show “one game at a time” as he clawed his way into the winners’ circle and the hearts of viewers at home.
He admitted he got a little hot and flustered under the bright stage lights, which did lead to some mistakes — although no contestant is immune from that.
“I think everybody onstage knows the answers to most of the questions, so it is really an issue of how quickly you can come up with them and hit the buzzer,” he told Toronto Life.
Ray Lalonde won 13 games of “Jeopardy!” and is headed to the Tournament of Champions.Jeopardy! “They actually coach you on the buzzer during the practice round,” he disclosed. “There is a light beside the board that turns on when the question is finished. If you buzz before it goes on, you’re locked out for a half-second, which can make all the difference.”
Lalonde added that although Ken Jennings hosts the show, contestants rarely have face time with him, citing the lack of interaction as a way to make sure the game can’t be rigged.
“They have a game show cop on set who draws the names for who’s going to play and what the categories are going to be that day,” he said. “It’s very randomized.”
Although many contestants enjoy a social media boost when their episode airs, Lalonde said he isn’t interested in gaining legions of followers and instead is content to keep his life private.
“When you go on the show, they provide you with some social media coaching. They recommend making your personal account private, and if you want to interact with fans, they suggest that you make a separate public account,” he divulged, adding that he has worked on the Hulu show “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
“But I’m not looking to build my profile. For some people, being on ‘Jeopardy!’ can be a jumping point to doing something else, but I’m not in that position, because I really like my job.”
Lalonde is slated to compete in the next Tournament of Champions. Details have not yet been shared about this season’s tournament.
Phenom Amy Schneider took home the crown in the last tournament, which aired in November.
