‘Jeopardy!’: Jonathan Hugendubler Says Win Over Scott Riccardi Was ‘Surreal’

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Jonathan Hugendubler took down 16-game champion Scott Riccardi during the Jeopardy! Season 42 finale. Six weeks later, he is still shocked.

The adjunct music professor talked with Towson University, where he teaches, about his win and how he prepared to get on the game show. “The whole experience was pretty surreal,” Hugendubler told the outlet. “If you watch the show or the Instagram clip, you can see my shock when I realized I won.”

Hugendubler beat Riccardi during Final Jeopardy when he wagered $1 over Riccardi’s total. Riccardi got the clue wrong, resulting in a loss and a new champion.

He became a Jeopardy! fan in college and began applying to the show in 2014. Hugendubler applied for the game show 10 times before actually making it on.

Before watching him on Monday’s episode, find out how he prepared for the game show. According to Towson, the champion practiced for 20 hours per week. He did this by using flashcards and watching old episodes of Jeopardy!.

Since he had time in between his first and second appearances, Hugendubler also brushed up on his buzzer skills and studied movie and TV trivia, since they are weak categories for him. “I memorized facts about so many reality shows I will never actually watch,” he said.

One of his colleagues at Towson University knows all too well how he had to prepare for Jeopardy!, since she was on the game show herself. “I know firsthand the challenge of cramming for trivia that may never even come up on the show,” Melissa Perreault, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said. “During my own Jeopardy! run, I spent a week becoming an ‘expert’ on opera and now can’t recall a single aria.”

She wished him the best of luck before his next game. “Best of luck to Jonathan as he takes on season 42— we’re all cheering you on here at TU! May all your knowledge and quick instincts serve you well on the Jeopardy! stage.”

If you miss tonight’s game, be sure to catch it on Hulu and Peacock, starting tomorrow, as the game show begins streaming.

Jeopardy!, Season 42 Premiere, September 8, check local listings