‘Jeopardy!’: 5 Things to Know About 18-Year-Old Contestant Delaney O’Dea
Delaney O’Dea, an 18-year-old from Santa Monica, California, is one of the youngest contestants ever to compete on Jeopardy! Young as she might be, she isn’t the only teen to win on the game show.
Atish Choudhury was only 18 years old when he won in 1997, and Kevin Marshall was 19 when he won six games in 2006. The minimum age to be on Jeopardy! is 18, according to the official rules, so O’Dea just made the cut. The game show doesn’t keep track of the ages of its contestants, so there is no way to know for sure if she is the youngest of all time. (TV Insider reached out to Jeopardy! reps, but didn’t hear back in time for publication.)
Here is what you should know about Delaney O’Dea before her second game on October 16. Read on for five facts about her following her first win.
This isn’t her first time in the Jeopardy! studio
During her first game, O’Dea revealed that she attended a taping of Jeopardy! when she was seven years old. During a Q&A segment, she asked then-host Alex Trebek how young she had to be to be on the game show, and he told her 18. When she was old enough to try out, she did and made it on the show.
“I’ve always been a fan of Jeopardy! So I’m 18 now, and I made it on stage,” she told now-host Ken Jennings.
“As Alex fortold. Welcome to his namestake stage,” Jennings responded.
Delaney is a college student studying multiple programs
According to her LinkedIn, O’Dea attends Brown University, where she is studying Classics and Classical Language (Greek and Latin), Literatures, and Linguistics, and Medieval Cultures. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree, which she expects to earn in 2028.
Before attending Brown, O’Dea earned her Associate of Arts degree in History from Santa Monica College, which she attended concurrently with Santa Monica High School from 2020 to 2024.
She has big love for trivia and Jeopardy!
“I grew up on Jeopardy!” she told Brown Daily Herald. From a young age, O’Dea knew that she wanted to compete on the show. She would watch Jeopardy! with her grandmother and shout out all of the answers that she knew.
In high school, O’Dea led her school’s nationally competitive quiz bowl team. She only auditioned for Jeopardy! in January when she completed the Anytime Test, and was invited to the next round one month later. O’Dea was then called back in May for the final round audition and received the call in August for her official placement.
“I was shocked. This was the dream forever,” she told the publication. She then studied for one month before her episode was filmed by binge-watching episodes and studying with her mom. She even hosted Jeopardy! parties in her dorm room.
O’Dea is a fan of metal music & got a tattoo in honor of a favorite band
For her photo with Ken Jennings, they both posed by making the rock ‘n roll symbol with their hands. On Reddit, she captioned the post, “Ken loves metalheads.”
On the platform, O’Dea revealed that she loves metal music. Her favorite bands are Mercyful Fate, Morbid Angel, and Bathory. She also recently got a Black Sabbath tattoo. She also told Brown Daily Herald that her best subjects are metal and medieval studies.
She has had numerous jobs
According to her LinkedIn, O’Dea is currently a board member at the production workshop in Providence, Rhode Island, which is Brown University’s student-run theater. She is also an editor for the Brown Film Magazine and a station history archival manager for WBRU.
In the past, O’Dea has worked at Sweetgreen and J. Paul Getty Trust.
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Conversation15 Comments
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G
Great player with an exciting story. Will definitely enjoy watching her play & hope she becomes a "superchampion."
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C
6th thing to know: She’s got a nice rack
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G
She is also quite attractive.
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O
She really is - and said only with the kindness a lecherous old man can have: Yup nice rack (which the very cute Cindy del Rosario a few days later should use some of her winnings to acquire). But it does seems Delany's tummy is challenging (something Cindy would likely never have to worry about much) and - in a way that can make for problems (health, self esteem, I'll even suggest a slowing of the mind capacity, etc) in the not too far off future. (Its amazing what nature and years do). That she smiles nicely but infrequently and almost unnaturally - also concerning. Hopefully, it is not a reflection of any unhappiness inside. PLEASE - Ms. O'dea be healthy, happy and free (and relish your intelligence and beauty) for the many of us that would so love to have the chance for the world to be their oyster for as long and for as many reasons as you.
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B
Aaand there's Jennings being a tool again trying to grab the limelight away the subject of the story. This man definitely has a problem with either always having to have the last word on Jeopardy, a podcast, or pimping his own stupid book. There's a reason Alex Trebeck didn't want him hosting Jeopardy after his death; he knew what a jackass/know-it-all Jennings is. In this case, he didn't even have the class to let Ms. O'Dea "take center stage" on her own. I wish he'd just disappear.
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O
Delaney O'Dea is a hardworking girl—always rooting for her（https://x.gd/SGdSt）!
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O
Similar to recent young contestants, Delaney's also highly knowledgeable, which shows in her ability to correctly answer many tough clues related to obscure / lesser known facts. Despite her only win, she's most likely eligible for Champions WC, too.
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C
Watch the show daily, but she lost me at "tattoo." Personal pet peeve, hate them, didn't need to hear about it, glad I didn't have to see it. I liked her and her story at least. And being a rocker.
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O
It was an awesome story. RIP Ozzy & RIP to your sense of fun.
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G
I cannot believe the photo of Ken with his tongue out like some 13 year old
Really Really Really stupid photo Ken!!!!
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B
Lighten up Francis.
10
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B
He's doing a metal look. It's a joke. Honestly, go tell the kids to get off your lawn.
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O
Ridiculous comment! Ken is relating to the contestants! As usual, Ken doing a great job!!!
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R
You didn't even capitalize your name like some 13 year old.
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O
He wrote the lamest and whiniest comment about Jeopardy.
Who is tommyh?
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