Fri Feb 12, 2021 at 7:19pm ET
Brayden Smith was hailed as one of Alex Trebek’s great champions. Pic credit: Jeopardy!/YouTube
Brayden Smith, who recently appeared on Jeopardy! and was hailed by fans as one of Alex Trebek’s greatest champions, has died at the age of 24.
His mother, Debbie, confirmed his death on Twitter.
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“We are heartbroken to share that our dear Brayden Smith recently passed away unexpectedly,” Debbie wrote. “We are so grateful that Brayden was able to live out his dream on @jeopardy.”
The cause of death was not immediately revealed.
We are heartbroken to share that our dear Brayden Smith recently passed away unexpectedly. We are so grateful that Brayden was able to live out his dream on @jeopardy. pic.twitter.com/e5x18xGcxV Debbie Smith (@debbieinlv) February 12, 2021
Pass the Podium to Ken Jennings Permanently
Mary Rufo
Potpourri is a common category on “Jeopardy!” that contains just a little bit of everything. Recently, the term could be applied to recent changes regarding the hosting position on the show. Since longtime host Alex Trebek succumbed to pancreatic cancer, uncertainty grew over who might take over for the “GHOST” or the “Greatest Host of Syndicated TV.” As a result, executives of the program developed a plan to try out a handful of potential hosts. Trivia legend, Ken Jennings was tapped to be the first guest host in the search for the next Trebek.
"Jeopardy!" champion James Holzhauer gave Arlington Heights native Daniel Donohue, a Northwestern University graduate, a run for his money on ABC's "The Chase."
“The Chase” is a fast-paced, high-stakes game show, which means contestants like Donohue have little time to think about their answers. (Photo courtesy of ABC/Ron Batzdorff.)
When Daniel Donohue sat down for a Skype audition for ABC’s new primetime show, “The Chase,” he never anticipated he would get the chance to compete head-to-head with his childhood idols.
Beginning his journey with the “Jeopardy!” College Championship, to now battling Brad Rutter, James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings some of the biggest names in “Jeopardy!” history Donohue has skillfully mastered his way up the trivia game show circuit.
The first-year Gould School of Law student is set to play a high-pressure game on the newest episode airing Thursday. The aim is to answer trivia questions faster and more accurately than the champions, who are dubbed the “chasers.” The game is fast-paced and high-stakes, with questions even valued at $25,000 each.
The Chase .
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I spent Thursday night hanging with my mom. First we watched Celebrity Wheel of Fortune , and then she wanted to stay tuned for The Chase . The Chase features Jeopardy! s three greatest champions of all time:
Ken Jennings,
James Holzhauer, and
Brad Rutter as the chasers . One chosen chaser challenges three contestants to a quiz round. Each contestant individually attempts to win money for their team by answering as many questions correctly as possible during a one-minute Cash Builder round. Then, that contestant participates in a head-to-head chase against the chaser.