6 Things to Know about ‘Jeopardy!’ TOC Finalist Andrew He
This… Is… Jeopardy!
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Jeopardy! has its three finalists for the Tournament of Champions finals, which kicks off tonight (November 14), as underdog Andrew He secured his spot last Friday night.
A software developer from San Francisco, California, He earned his place in the TOC competition after winning five games in regular Jeopardy. During the tournament, he beat Jonathan Fisher and Christine Whelchel in the first round and then knocked out super-champ Mattea Roach and Eric Ahasic in Friday’s semi-finals game.
After advancing to the finals, He will now face off against super-champ Amy Schneider and Professors’ Tournament winner Sam Buttrey in what promises to be a highly-competitive finish to the series.
Here are six things you should know about the competition’s dark horse.
He Has Faced Amy Schneider Before
He is no stranger to Schneider as the pair previously faced off in November 2021 during regular Jeopardy. In fact, it was Schneider who took away He’s champions crown at the start of her historic run.
“Big congratulations to @Jeopardamy, who was simply the better player today,” He tweeted at the time. “I’m proud to have shared the stage with her and Max, and to be able to say I truly gave it my all out there.”
Now, the San Francisco native has a chance for revenge against the Jeopardy! fan favorite.
He Works As A Software Developer
According to his LinkedIn profile, He has been working as a software engineer at Impira since July 2019. Impira is described as “a machine learning and artificial intelligence software company” based in San Francisco.
Before starting at Impira, He went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he graduated in 2019 with a degree in B.S. (Math, Computer, and Science).
He Helped Last Year’s TOC Champion Prepare
Before appearing on Jeopardy! himself, He had a hand in helping 2021’s TOC winner last year’s champ on his path to victory.
“My friend Andrew He, who helped me practice for the Tournament of Champions, is on Jeopardy today and it’s the most excited I’ve been watching the show since my appearance,” Kavanaugh tweeted in November 2021 ahead of He’s first episode.
The dude is hella bright and understands the game at least as well as I did when I was first on. There’s enough variance in Jeopardy that that doesn’t always translate to winning. But it might!
— Sam Kavanaugh (@sam_kavanaugh) November 10, 2021
“The dude is hella bright and understands the game at least as well as I did when I was first on,” he continued. “There’s enough variance in Jeopardy that that doesn’t always translate to winning. But it might!”
He Plans To Use His Winnings On an Ice Cream Company
After his five-game winning streak in 2021, He walked away with an impressive total of $157,365. When asked by Ken Jennings what he planned to do with the winnings, He had a very specific idea in mind.
“There will be the usual suspects. You know, donation,” He explained. “But with what’s leftover, I would love to help my friend, Vincent, start an ice cream company.”
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However, he refused to tell Jennings his favorite flavor. “That’s a secret. I’m sorry,” he laughed.
His Twitter Bio Links to Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse”
He seems to acknowledge his position as the underdog of the TOC as his Twitter bio includes a YouTube link to Katy Perry’s 2013 hit “Dark Horse.”
However, after beating super-champ Mattea Roach on Friday and showing off some bold wagers, perhaps He isn’t as much of a dark horse entering the finals as it originally appeared.
Fans Love His Hair
While viewers have complimented He’s bold gameplay and impressive trivia knowledge, he’s also received love for his glorious head of hair.
“Gis hair is frickin’ incredible it’d be near impossible to get a better head of hair than that,” wrote a commenter on the Jeopardy! Reddit forum. “Seriously. First Matt [Amodio] now Andrew, they’re hiding some extra brains under there,” added another.
“Great hair and a terrific player!” said another fan, while one viewer added, “Absolutely great hair. It’s like a super power!”
Jeopardy!, Tournament of Champions, Weeknights, Check your local listings
