3 top winners face off on ‘Jeopardy!’
The three top winners in “Jeopardy!” history are set to compete against each other during a prime-time event on ABC starting Tuesday.
“Jeopardy!” alums Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer will vie for the title as top champ of the champs on the popular game show.
They will compete in a series of matches. The first competitor to win three matches will receive $1 million and the title of “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time.” The two other contestants will each receive $250,000.
Alex Trebek is hosting the special. “Based on their previous performances, these three are already the ‘greatest,’ but you can’t help wondering: Who is the best of the best?” Trebek said.
Jennings became a household name during his record 74-game winning streak — the longest in “Jeopardy!” history — and his winnings totaled $3,370,700.
Rutter holds the title for the most money won by a contestant — across any television game show — raking in $4,688,436 in “Jeopardy!” prize money. He has never lost “Jeopardy!” to a human opponent.
Holzhauer is the record holder for all 15 of the top single-game winnings records on the show. He won the 2019 Tournament of Champions and his winnings total $2,712,216.
“Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time” begins 8 p.m. Tuesday and will continue at least through Thursday.
Trebek said he may not host the long-running game show for much longer. He didn’t disclose when he’ll stop appearing on the series, but he knows how he’ll say goodbye to his loyal viewers.
“I’ve kind of, in my mind, rehearsed it already, and what I would do on that day is tell the director, ‘Time the show down to leave me 30 seconds at the end. That’s all I want,’ ” he said.
Trebek, who has hosted “Jeopardy!” since 1984, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March. He has undergone chemotherapy since then and promised fans he’d continue hosting the show “as long as [my] skills have not diminished.”
He went on: “Don’t ask me who’s going to replace me because I have no say whatsoever. But I’m sure that if you give them the same love and attention and respect that you have shown me ... then they will be a success and the show will continue being a success. And until we meet again, God bless you and goodbye.”