“Jeopardy!” contestant Jamie Ding is continuing his hot streak on the long-running game show while winning over fans at home.
On Tuesday’s episode of “Jeopardy!,” the 33-year-old New Jersey-based law student and housing policy administrator notched his 28th straight victory with a current total of $774,601 in earnings.
Ding has become one of the show’s most dominant players in history as only four previous champions, including now “Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings, Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio and James Holzhauer have had longer runs.
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Meanwhile, though even some of the most successful contestants have divided “Jeopardy!’s” passionate and often opinionated audience, Ding has enjoyed overwhelming popularity with fans, who have said that they are impressed with his low-key demeanor and humble attitude even as he continues to dominate the board.
“It never comes off as cocky,” “Jeopardy!” fan Lonny Starsky told the Wall Street Journal. “He almost seems embarrassed when he wins.”
In his on-screen introduction, Ding is identified as a “bureaucrat and law student,” a description he chose for himself. In one fan-favorite moment, Ding joked that he was a “faceless bureaucrat” during the contestant interview portion of the show.
Ding has become known for his understated reactions and his small wave during introductions, which fans have begun copying at home.
“Now I do it every time, too. I just smile at the TV and wave,” Starksky said, who credits his grandmother Judy Robinson with starting the tradition.
Early in his “Jeopardy!” run, Ding told Jennings that orange is his favorite color. Since then, he has worn a shade of orange on his top during every episode, another quirk that viewers say they have found endearing. The color is also a nod to Ding’s alma mater, Princeton University.
During a recent interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ding shared insight on his wardrobe choices and joked about how he handles fans’ reactions to his outfits.
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“If it’s too busy of a pattern, it won’t look good on TV,” he said. “You also have to be emotionally prepared to learn about all the random stains or tiny holes in your clothing you never noticed before.”
In addition to winning over fans with his personality, Ding has also inspired audience enthusiasm with his superior gameplay.
Known for his buzzer speed and wide-ranging knowledge, Ding has correctly responded across nearly every category he has encountered, putting up numbers that rival some of the biggest names in the show’s history, including Jennings. In one early appearance, he tied Jennings’ record for most correct responses in a single game.
Some fans have said that family members who previously had little interest in “Jeopardy!” have started tuning in just to watch his run. Starkey said that his mother, who previously avoided watching “Jeopardy!,” has become invested in Ding’s journey.
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“Now she texts me every day when he’s on, ‘Oh my God, Jamie’s doing so good!’” Starsky said. “She didn’t even start watching the show til like last week.”
Ding’s path to “Jeopardy!” began as a child when he started competing in events including the 2004 National Geographic Bee, which was hosted by Alex Trebek that year. Ding previously revealed that he didn’t recognize the “Jeopardy!” icon as Trebek was not sporting his signature mustache.
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The reigning champion first auditioned for “Jeopardy!: Teen Tournament” as a senior in high school. He continued taking “Jeopardy!’s” online “Anytime Test” every year without success before finally getting his shot.
“The luck of the timing worked out pretty well for me,” Ding told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Twenty-three-year-old me would have done much worse.”
Along with becoming a top five “Jeopardy!” champion, Ding’s $774,601 total puts him in 8th place on the highest-winnings list as of April 21.
“I don’t know if it’s entirely sunk in,” Ding told The Inquirer. “I really love history, and it’s cool to be making some history myself.”
