It’s hard to become a Jeopardy! celebrity … unless, of course, you’re already participating in Celebrity Jeopardy!

The concept of the long-running quiz show institution is so simple that it doesn’t leave much room for personality. Sure, we’ve gotten to know some super champs over the years like James Holzhauer, Amy Schneider, and Goat-turned-host Ken Jennings. But most contestants come and go with little fanfare. That was not the case for Yogesh Raut.

This blogger, podcaster, and writer from Springfield, Illinois immediately popped off the screen during his first game on Jan. 11, 2023. The stoic contender was not shy about sharing his advanced level of trivia mastery. Raut had participated in so many prominent trivia tourneys (though he prefers the term “quizzing”) that he was already well-known on the scene. In the interview portion of his first episode, he shared an anecdote of how Jeopardy! super champion...