“Jeopardy!” champ Jamie Ding, 30 wins into his streak, appeared live on “Good Morning America” on Friday, and he talked about Thursday’s episode of the game show, which came down to a showdown between himself and Patrick Nolan, an actuary from Wheaton, Illinois.
“I just thought it was a fantastic game,” the Grosse Pointe-raised Ding told hosts George Stephanopoulos and Rebecca Jarvis. “We all played well, Patrick, Leighanna and me, and we had two five-figure true Daily Doubles that paid off. I was nervous watching it, and I knew the outcome.”
Ding finished the game with $56,001, which was just behind his highest one-day total of $56,400. And his win streak has now entered its 30s phase; he’ll go for 31 on Friday night’s episode.
Ding was introduced on his “GMA” segment as “the nicest ‘Jeopardy!’ champion of all-time.” He’s now the fifth highest in both games won and total prize winnings on the show, having earned $849,603.
He said even he’s a little surprised at his streak.
“I mean, nobody goes in planning to win 30 games, only a complete egomaniac would do that,” he said. “I entertained the possibility, it’s nice to dream big, but that it’s actually happened is amazing. It’s wonderful.”
The 33-year-old also shouted out his former AP government teacher Barry Mulso, who taught him at Grosse Pointe North high school — “He taught me a lot, all my teachers taught me a lot,” he said — and he talked about why he frequently wears orange during his show tapings.
“It’s just my favorite color, been since I was 3 years old,” he said, mentioning he’s been replenishing his wardrobe in between tapings at the Century City mall in Los Angeles. “I always feel good wearing it. Even if I’m wearing something that’s maybe on the brown side or the red side, I’ve got a little (orange) wristband, so there’s always some orange.”
Viewers can see if he’s wearing orange, and if he adds to his winnings totals, when “Jeopardy!” airs at 7:30 p.m. Friday on WDIV-TV (Local 4). It also streams on Hulu and Peacock.
agraham@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: ‘Jeopardy!’ champ Jamie Ding talks win streak, wearing orange on ‘GMA’
Reporting by Adam Graham, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
