‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Harrison Whitaker Addresses His ‘Annoying Habits’ Amid Backlash
Harrison Whitaker has been opening up about his impressive recent run on Jeopardy! and has admitted that he is pleased he is competing in the 2027 Tournament of Champions and not the 2026 contest.
Whitaker spoke with executive producer Sarah Whitcomb-Foss on the Jeopardy! Substack about his 15-game run, 14 wins, and more. He also opened up about his sleep schedule while filming and the “annoying” habits he had on the game show.
The Jeopardy! champion’s run came in the middle of the cutoff season for the 2026 postseason, so he qualified as the first contestant for the 2027 postseason. The 2026 postseason features Scott Riccardi, Liam Starnes, Laura Faddah, and other multi-game champions.
“You’re going to have the longest time to prepare. When I’ve talked to champions in the past, they say it’s both a blessing and a curse,” Whitcomb-Foss said. “How do you feel about that?”
“Believe me, I feel very glad that I don’t have to face some of the challengers that are in the 2026 Tournament of Champions,” Whitaker admitted. “I would not like to go toe-to-toe with — I won’t name names, but I could name every name frankly.”
“But, on the other hand, I do have extra time to prepare, which is great because I sort of know a bit of what I’m lacking. I know where some of my gameplay weaknesses lie,” he continued. “That said, a year is a long time to watch that field fill up with faces, so I don’t know. I’m going to be watching Jeopardy! a bit differently from now on.”
He also revealed that he only got four hours of sleep before each taping day since he traveled between England and California. There was a gap in between his games for Celebrity Jeopardy!, so he wasn’t in California the whole time. He filmed four games and went home for a few weeks. Then, he came back to film 10 more games.
“I’m not one for flying. It’s not something I like to do,” Whitaker shared. “I like to limit it as much as possible,” Whitaker shared.
“Having about half a dozen transatlantic flights in the span of about three weeks was a bit taxing,” the champion said. “But, at the same time. I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that would come to an end, so I just told myself to push through.”
“I don’t think I ever played a game of Jeopardy! on more than maybe four hours of sleep.”
Throughout his run, fans complained about how he swayed back and forth, talked too fast, and sometimes talked with a British accent. Whitaker addressed those critics.
“People have been overwhelmingly positive,” he shared. “That said, it comes with some exceptions. I knew in advance the swaying was not going to be everyone’s taste. Believe me, I don’t want to sway. I wish I could just stand still. I can’t help myself. I tried.”
“The proportion of people who think I speak in a British accent, I just don’t think I’ll ever understand that one,” Whitaker shared. He even said that other contestants didn’t know that British contestants were allowed on the show.
Whitcomb-Foss told him that other people said he was a “Jeopardbae!” and a “hottie.”
“I’m flattered, but I’m not so sure,” Whitaker ended.
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