‘Jeopardy!’ Viewers Spot Familiar Contestant on Show

Alfred Guy on Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!

While Jeopardy! viewers are usually busy trying to figure out the show’s trivia questions; it was a contestant on the Wednesday, July 20 episode that had fans racking their brains.

The contestant in question was Alfred Guy, a professor at Yale University, who some viewers thought looked familiar. And there was a reason why fans were drawn to Guy. That’s because he is a quiz show regular, having appeared on several other television game shows over the years.

In 2011, Guy, who is director of undergraduate writing and tutoring at Yale, appeared on the syndicated daytime version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, hosted by Meredith Vieira. He had an impressive performance on the show, correctly answering 13 of the 14 questions and walking away with $250,000 in winnings. He also bagged himself a further $100,000 on an episode of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? in 2019.

But Guy’s TV appearances go even further back than that, as he also appeared on a May 1987 episode of Love Connection, the dating game show where singles attempt to connect with a compatible partner.

While some viewers tried to remember where they knew him from, others were quick to recognize the veteran game show competitor.

Guy didn’t have as much success on Jeopardy! as he had in his previous TV experiences, finishing in third place with $10,999. However, he told the New Haven Register that he was on Jeopardy! more for the experience than the money, referring to it as the “Olympics” of game shows. He also said the best part of the show was chatting with his fellow contestants.

“I was very very pleased with how much the contestants root for each other,” he said. “In a show where [you win by getting] questions right, I could see sometimes the other contestants being like ‘Wow!’ instead of like ‘Damn!’ and that surprised me. I didn’t think there would be so much comradery.”

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  1. P

    PurpleChilli

    Thank you Jeopardy for the return of Ken Jennings🙌😊😊 Keep him please!!

    60 5

    1. C

      CyanPumpkin

      oh HELL no!!

      2 23

    2. O

      OliveCactus

      Yes, PLEASE KEEP KEN JENNINGS!!!!

      29 7

    3. R

      RedBone

      No please can’t stand him

      1 18

    4. O

      OrangeTag

      Yes please keep Ken Jennings!

      11 1

  2. G

    GreenFlask

    Really reaching with the clickbait, aren't we? Anyway, while I'm here, Ken Jennings should be the permanent host.

    53 9

    1. O

      OliveCactus

      Ken certainly has my vote. And I bet if they took a poll, Ken Jenni gs would definitely get the majority of the votes!

      26 6

    2. C

      CyanMagnet

      He’s winning the one the website has up right now. He currently has 82%, with Mayim trailing at second with a measly 6%.

      20 3

  3. O

    OliveBox

    So happy to see Ken Jennings back..I tried to hang in there until he returned...Thanks for bringing him back home. : )

    44 6

    1. O

      OliveCactus

      Me too, I was really debating if I was going to stay with Jeopardy because I really do not think the female host has it together on any level.

      22 6

  4. O

    OrangeRaindrop

    Keep Jennings as host. He is classy

    35 5

    1. R

      RedBone

      No no

      12

  5. C

    CyanBottle

    I’m a Ken Jennings fan! Good job

    33 5

    1. B

      BluePaw

      Agree

      12 2

  6. O

    OliveBeer

    welcome back, I like you best Ken

    25 1

  7. B

    BlueBeer

    Ken Jennings is a natural. Network needs to use him full time . Great job

    28 5

  8. R

    RedGoggles

    Thank you for bringing back the pro!!

    25 4

  9. G

    GreenCoffee

    Phew! So glad to have Ken back. I've been relaxed all week, watching the show. His style is just better. He answers the contestants replies, correct or incorrect, immediately. No pause after they answer. Nobody knows what "Alex would want", but I bet it'd be Ken. Keep him!

    21 2

    1. G

      GreenCarrot

      Alex often alluded to Ken's potential hiring to the position in the last decade of the show, and even more often in his last few months hosting. The most obvious recent example is after Ken presented the "GOATs" category in October 2020. I can't post outside links here, but look up the video on Youtube titled "Ken Jennings Knows Mountain GOATs" and listen to Alex's comment at the end.

      12 2

  10. B

    BluePlanet

    Ken over Malik

    21 3

  11. G

    GoldGlasses

    Keep Ken, please

    15

  12. G

    GoldSubmarine

    Keep Ken Jennings

    15

  13. B

    BluePaw

    Thank you I love it welcome back

    17 2

  14. R

    RedTurtle

    Nothing unusual about that. Jeopardy James Holzhauer, Muffy Marraco and Jonathom Korblah [Master Minds] all appeared on The Chase as contestants years ago. Actress Jen Lilley [Hallmark] was a contestant on Catch 21 before she became quasi famous.

    14 2

    1. C

      CyanTag

      That Catch 21 episode just ran the other day on GSN, from 2013 I believe.

      11 2

    2. R

      RedApple

      I think there used to be a rule that you couldn't be on Jeopardy! After being on other TV game shows

  15. R

    RedPalmtree

    There are so many salty Mayim "fans," or possibly click farm employees, in these comment sections now that she lost her third TV Insider poll in a row in a humiliating fashion.

    11 2

    1. B

      BlueGrapes

      You mean the unscientific poll that lets you vote over and over? Ken trolls dominate this website it’s so obvious and vote over and over. There’s no way Ken got 90% of the vote. It let me vote twice. So come on.

      5

  16. O

    OrangeMagnet

    It was such a relief to see Ken this past week. I could actually relax and enjoy the show rather than just sitting through it.

    I hope this means Ken will soon be the permanent host!

    9 1

  17. O

    OrangeDog

    Well Hello Ken....it's so nice to have you back where YOU belong ...your looking good Ken.....🤣👏👏❤️Ken don't ever go away again 🤣🎶❤️🎶🎶

    8

  18. R

    RedBee

    Just like competitive eaters or pub quiz teams, there's a circuit of contestants for game shows which mainly shoot in California. Actors wanting to be seen or discovered, side hustle to win money etc. are very popular in La La Land.

    10 2

  19. G

    GreenToast

    In the game show host roster she is the ultimate bad example.

    9 2

  20. O

    Olive8Ball

    I think Ken Jennings is very polite to the contestants. He also doesn't yell "No" when they get a question wrong!!

    7

  21. R

    RedSushi

    I am glad Mr. Jennings was chosen...This was a wise choice by indeed. I bet Alex Trebek would have approved also! RIP

    8 2

    1. R

      RedBone

      No

      16

  22. B

    BlueFan

    Agree

  23. O

    OrangeBasketball

    It's "camaraderie".

  24. O

    OlivePlanet

    Ken Jennings just has to be the permanent host!!!. Not to be unkind, but Mayim works on my nerves. I know she is brilliant but she is not the best host for jeopardy.

    1

    1. G

      GreenCarrot

      She is NOT brilliant, not even close. She has a PhD she's never used, probably by studying the material to pass the tests and then abandoning it. She cooked lemon juice [destroying the vitamin C ] to treat her Covid.

      Months of hosting Jeopardy have not improved her performance one iota. She's egotistical, arch, condescending and insufferable.

  25. G

    GoldScooter

    I am fine with either. Ken is pretty smooth in his manner and runs the games well. I do like Mayim as well and she would probably do even better doing more shows. Even if she doesn’t get the permanent spot it is good she got a chance to host the show for an extended time. At the risk of being “woke” all any person regardless of characteristics can ask is a fair chance to see how they do the job, which she has had.

    3

  26. G

    GoldButterfly

    Both candidates are excellent. Ken lately appears rushed. Mayims warm personality shines through and her matches are fast paced, but not frenetic.

    7

    1. G

      GreenBowtie

      Mayhim’s pacing is arguably worse than some of the worst guest hosts from last year. She hesitates way too long when telling the contestant they are correct or incorrect

      5

  27. O

    OrangeWeights

    Get someone new

    He is sicky sweet

    7

  28. B

    BlueGrapes

    Ken Jennings said horrible things about handicapped people. He’s not worthy of following Alex Trebek.

    1 9

    1. R

      RedPalmtree

      Mayim says that Harvey Weinstein's assault victims brought it on themselves. She also doesn't approve of caesarean section to save the life of a baby or it's mother. But she saw nothing wrong with nursing her 3 1/2 year old son on a crowded subway, and you'll need to google her "art piece" to fully grasp what a despicable creature she is.

      2

  29. G

    GreenCupcake

    a} I have a life and thankfully no tv. b} Bialik's brand of neurotypy much easier to tolerate than Jennings' glaringly white pudgy prissy demeanor. No great talent needed to host: keep the pace going, gently urge the contestants through their amusing anecdote, read the clues, let the judges worry about correct answers. trebek radiated that aura of actually knowing stuff. jennings is clearly performing. read the clue and let the judges judge

    1 9

  30. B

    BlueRadio

    I like Ken Jennings but I also like Mayim Bialik.

    1 10

  31. A

    Antonio Montealegre

    Both Mayim and Ken are fine with me!

    2 14

  32. O

    OrangeScissors

    I don't understand why everyone seems to want Ken Jennings. He is definitely no Alex Trebek. The show is not the same without Alex. No longer a viewer of jeopardy. I watched jeopardy religiously since the Jack Parr days

    13

    1. B

      BluePlanet

      Jack Parr was never on Jeopardy. Art Flemming hosted prior to Alex Trebek.

      11

    2. O

      OliveBullhorn

      Nobody is going to come and do as good a job as Alex. That was made imminently clear during the guest host days last season. But I can see why Ken is highly favored among hardcore fans and longtime casual viewers as well. His clue-reading cadence is very similar to Alex's (he was trained by Alex towards the end of 2020) and his in-game mannerisms actually mimic Alex's quite closely (quotes like "Answer: Daily Double", references to runaway games, wagering strategy comments, saying the other two contestants' names after one player rings in with the wrong response, genuine enthusiasm for successful contestants - past and present, etc.). He is also very comfortable in front of the camera and doesn't need to rely on scripted "ad-libs" (ironic, I know) throughout the game or coming in and out of breaks. I also think his lifelong discipleship of the show, which long precedes his initial streak as a contestant, gives him a lot of credibility among the audience.

      By the way, Jack Paar never hosted the show. Are you confusing him with Art Fleming?

      8

      1. C

        CyanScissors

        And he's calm and in charge without being pushy and annoying the way Ms. Bialik is.

        6

      2. R

        RedPalmtree

        "Eminently" not "imminently", but all your points still stand! Mayim is not a good moderator and quite obviously pales in comparison to Ken.

        3

  33. C

    CyanLamp

    Don't much care for either one

    1 15

  34. O

    OliveBandAid

    Mayim does a super job without the snobbery that Ken Jennings exudes..she would great as a permanent Jeopardy host(E’s’!

    16

    1. C

      CyanScissors

      She is condescending, phony and annoying. She's outrun everyone's patience with her and needs to go away.

      9

    2. R

      RedPalmtree

      You mean the lady who quite often has to remind the audience of her personal academic achievements? The one who often corrects contestants' pronunciation as if she actually knew them, despite often pronouncing things wrong herself? We may talking about two different Mayims.

      13

  35. B

    BluePaw

    Misogyny is strong with the fans of this series. The hosts are different but both are competent at reading answers then reading answers. You do know they don't write the questions or actually know the answer? Hate has no place in a game show.

    16

    1. B

      BlueBoomerang

      Either you don't get it or you choose not to get it. We don't object to a female host, in fact we love Brooke Burns, Meredith Vieira, Jane Lynch, Sara Haines, Kelly Ripa etc.. It is Mayim herself we object to because she's so off putting. I'd welcome a qualified lady host: get Aisha Tyler, Sara Gilbert, heck Marie Osmond would do better. Mayim does not belong on the Alex Trebek stage.

      8

  36. G

    GreenButton

    I can't stand him . They are better off canceling the show

    1 17

    1. C

      CyanPumpkin

      Getting desperate, Mayim? You'd rather the show shut down than lose your bid?

      3

  37. P

    PurpleCocktail

    I like Mayim. People are cruel. Actually I thought Mike Richards 

    was the best

    18

  38. B

    BlueProcessor

    Its time for a woman at the podium for the next 30 years. Mayim is great! Ken's ok but his being a contestant is enough.

    2 22

    1. B

      BlueTooth

      Nope. There are a number of female game show hosts and they all outshine Mayim by a billion watts. Brooke Burns, Sara Haines, Jane Lynch, Meredith Vieira etc. all totally eclipse her.

      11

    2. G

      GreenPalmtree

      Wow, sexist much? The host's gender should play absolutely no role in this selection. It should be left primarily to skill, which Mayim seems to be in short supply of - and it has nothing to do with her gender.

      11

  39. O

    OliveBeer

    Just one question. Does Ken Jennings ever blink?

    3 24

  40. C

    CyanBottle

    Can’t stand Ken Jennings. He’s a self centered egotistical snob. Will stop watching if he is permanent…..

    2 24