COMEDIAN ON Wh
Star is the n host of TV q show Jeopa
Fate seems to have played a part in choosing the host of rebooted TV gameshow Jeopardy! The programme aired its first episode last week with Stephen Fry at the helm. But the comedian had already made an appearance.
“I was an answer on the US show last year and to hear the contestant give the response, ‘who is Stephen Fry?’ made me wriggle with delight,” says Stephen, 65.
As a long-running host of QI, it’s not surprising the actor, broadcaster, author, director and narrator is a huge fan of quizzes.
Stephen says: “I was lucky enough to be on University Challenge as a student and a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire special, and I have my Celebrity Mastermind crystal winner’s bowl to polish. So I think all my ambitions have been achieved.”
Jeopardy! launched in 1964, making it one of the longest-running gameshows. It is part of the cultural fabric of America and was most famously hosted by Alex Trebec for 37 seasons until his death in 2020.
It reverses the traditional format, giving clues in the form of answers, with contestants asked to identify the question.
Jeopardy! appeared on UK screens in the 1980s, presented by Derek Hobson, and in the 1990s, presented by Steve Jones and later Paul Ross. But now Stephen has brought a modern twist to the cult classic.
ADDICTIVE
He says: “Since I started visiting the United States I found myself completely drawn to Jeopardy! The pleasure of each show and its outcome is addictive and deeply satisfying. But there’s also the wit and variety of the categories. It’s not just Geography, History, Politics.
“In the US, they had a category World Events That Took Place During Liz Truss’s Time As PM – brilliant!
“Or there are great wordplay puzzles that don’t need specialist knowledge, where words are hidden inside other words, for example, ‘term’ in ‘watermelon’, or words that have other meanings spelt backwards.”
Jeopardy! is a classic shout-at-the-telly family show, something that Stephen was fond of during childhood.
He says: “I loved Mastermind and University Challenge when I was growing up. My father was a physicist and always got the science ones.
“My mother did history at university and the family joke was that whenever there was a history question and we all turned to look at her for the answer, she would shake her head and say, ‘not my period’. We never found out what her period was.”
So how would you fare on Jeopardy! Test your brainpower with these official questions from the show to see how much cash you could have won…
I’ve found myself completely drawn to Jeopardy! Every show is addictive & satisfying STEPHEN FRY ON BECOMING A FAN DURING VISITS TO THE U.S