Jeopardy! fans stunned by rule shake-up that allows four-day winner Grant DeYoung to compete in Tournament of Champions
Danger! viewers were left puzzled by an apparent change in the show’s rules after it was suggested that four-day winner Grant DeYoung would likely compete in the next Tournament of Champions.
DeYoung, who works as a store clerk, thrilled viewers earlier this month with a four-day winning streak – which officially ended on May 21 after setting a record $81,203 transportation.
Host Ken Jennings then told DeYoung that “with your four wins, I think it’s very likely that we’ll see you in the Tournament of Champions.”
This raised several eyebrows among fans who believed that the Arizona native could not compete because he had failed to achieve the usual requirement of five straight wins.
Viewers quickly took to social media to question how DeYoung would be allowed to compete despite not having the necessary number of wins.
Danger! viewers were left stunned by a shakeup in the show’s eligibility rules, which allowed contestant Grant DeYoung (pictured) to compete in the Tournament of Champions
Host Ken Jennings (pictured) hinted that the four-day winner would likely participate in the next Tournament of Champions
When a fan said on Instagram: ‘Why is he coming back? I thought 5 wins were for toc (Tournament of Champions)?’
To which another replied: ‘All 4 game champions have ultimately qualified at TOC in the last 3 editions.’
They then added: ‘With a shorter participation period and the expansion of the TOC field in the past two editions. I think Grant might end up in the 32nd TOC.
‘Since the 2021 TOC, where all four game champions participated, some made it to the semi-finals, such as: Veronica, Ryan B, Ryan H, Maureen, John & David.’
Another fan said they hoped DeYoung would get the chance to participate, writing, “I hope so. They brought back Yogesh and I think he only won a few matches.”
The last tournament in March saw Yogesh Raut, Ben Chan and Troy Meyer compete against each other in the final, with Raut being crowned the winner.
It wasn’t the only rule that DeYoung ultimately revealed to viewers during his appearance on the show, as many fans were also shocked by the fact that contestants could use chairs.
During the rounds he competed in, eagle-eyed viewers noticed DeYoung sitting in a chair, a rarity on the show, with most competitors choosing to stand behind their podium.
Fans believed that the Arizona native could not compete because he had failed to achieve the usual requirement of five straight wins, but that has not been the case lately.
Another fan explained that “they brought back Yogesh and I think he only won a few matches,” highlighting a recent rule change
In a podcast Inside Jeopardy! producer Sarah Whitcomb explained why Grant was sitting instead of standing – and revealed that all participants have a choice.
‘Fans have noticed that Grant sits in a chair during his matches. This is something we always offer to participants,” she said.
She added: “We don’t ask why. It’s none of our business. If you want a chair, we’ll give it to you… So there you have it!’
DeYoung sat in a black swivel chair set to the same standing height as the others, allowing him to look across the stage.
In danger! subreddit last week, a curious viewer asked why the participant was sitting in a chair.
“They give it if you ask for it – I have some back arthritis which makes it very difficult to stand still for that long,” DeYoung explained in a comment in the discussion thread.
“I wouldn’t expect everyone sitting for Jeopardy! to reveal their reason for needing one, but I don’t mind saying mine.”
While appearing on the show, DeYoung also revealed that he was hit by a car after hearing he made it onto the hit ABC show – but he was so excited he didn’t even notice.
It wasn’t the only line DeYoung ultimately revealed to viewers during his run on the show
Many fans were shocked by the fact that contestants could use chairs, and DeYoung explained that he suffered from “back arthritis which makes standing still for so long very difficult.”
The grocer, originally from Prescott, Arizona, revealed he was involved in a traffic accident just as he received a text message confirming the news.
“I got home from work, got in the car and pulled out my phone and it collapsed inside,” he recalled on Wednesday night’s show. “I’m on the verge of tears just staring at it, and I got hit by a car and I ran away….”
A stunned Ken asked, “Did you hit a car while receiving the text?”
‘People came up to me afterwards [saying]: “Are you aware that your car has just been hit?” and I said ‘no’ as I held my phone and stared at the message.”
Ken then asked if he was okay.
“The car needs some work, but I’m certainly doing fine, thank you,” Grant said.
Earlier in May, it was announced that a Jeopardy! spinoff would come to Amazon Prime and it would give web obsessed a chance to test their knowledge.
Pop culture in danger! It’s the first time the clever series, created by Sony Pictures Television’s game show division, has appeared on a streaming service.
It will mimic the format of the original game show, but the demand segment will focus on music, movies, TV shows, sports and more.