Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings couldn’t resist doing his best Jeff Probst impression after 15-day champion Adriana Harmeyer was defeated last week by former Survivor contestant Drew Basile.
In a newly-released post-game clip, which was shared on the June 24 edition of the Inside Jeopardy! podcast, Jennings chatted with the contestants after last Wednesday’s (June 19) episode, where Harmeyer’s dominant run came to a devastating end at the hands of the ex-Survivor castaway.
Harmeyer was looking for one more win to put her in the top ten longest-winning streak’s in the show’s history. Unfortunately, she came up just one episode short, though she still walked away with almost $350,000.
In the clip (at around the 20-minute mark), Jennings asks Harmeyer, “How does it feel now being a 15-game Jeopardy! champion, you know how the story ends?”
“Of course, I would have loved to keep going, but 15 is a nice good number, and I’m happy with that,” the archivist from West Lafayette, Indiana, replied.
“You would like more,” Jennings responded before teasing her by saying, “but I guess the tribe has spoken.”
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Of course, Jennings was referencing Probst’s iconic catchphrase that he delivers to Survivor contestants after they’ve been eliminated. It’s a phrase Basile knows all too well, as he was voted out of Survivor 45 in sixth place after his own allies turned on him.
The studio audience reacted in shock to Jennings’ quip, but Harmeyer and her fellow contestants took it in good spirits.
“Unfortunately,” Harmeyer said.
Harmeyer will get her chance at revenge against Basile, though, as both have qualified for the next Tournament of Champions. A player automatically qualifies for the TOC after five wins, and Basile clinched his fifth victory in a row on Tuesday night (June 25).
Speaking of Probst, Jennings surprised Basile during Tuesday’s game when he revealed he’d reached out to the Emmy-winning Survivor host about Basile’s success on Jeopardy.
“He was like, ‘What a great kid! He was amazing on our show,’” Jennings explained. “He was so delighted to hear you’re doing well here.”
“Wow. I don’t know what to say,” Basile responded before going on to win his fifth game.
Will Basile continue his streak tonight? And what did you think of Jennings’ joke? Let us know in the comments below.
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