‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Jake DeArruda Responds to Critics, Then Loses

Martin Holmes February 2, 2023, 7:53 am

Jake DeArruda on Jeopardy — Jeopardy, Inc!

Jeopardy! contestant Jake DeArruda was “drowning out the haters” ahead of Wednesday’s (February 1) episode, where he was looking to secure his fourth win in a row.

The delivery dispatcher from Ludlow, Vermont, has been a divisive player among viewers, with some going as far as to call him the “most annoying contestant ever.” However, DeArruda was not letting the naysayers get to him.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to drown out the haters,” he tweeted, alongside a photo of himself in the shower being doused in champagne.

DeArruda received a lot of support in the comments, with one person telling him, “Only those who succeed tend to have haters. You have a quirky personality I’m here for it.”

“Good job! I get tired of haters on Twitter! Where’s the love?” wrote another, while one person added, “Haha, man it’s rough on here. But hey, to make it onto the long list of Jeopardy champions who got dragged on Twitter is an accomplishment in and of itself. I thought you did great.”

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to drown out the haters 😂 pic.twitter.com/lBMw7robiE

— Jake DeArruda (@threearruda) January 28, 2023

DeArruda isn’t the first Jeopardy! contestant to receive negative comments from viewers. Recent champ Ray LaLonde had his fair share of haters during his run on the show, and even comedian Hasan Minhaj felt the wrath of the Jeopardy! faithful during his appearance on Celebrity Jeopardy! last year.

'Jeopardy!' Fans Call Jake DeArruda 'Most Annoying Contestant Ever'

However, while DeArruda might have tuned out the haters, he couldn’t overcome his opponent Patti Palmer on Wednesday’s show. The retired teacher and bookseller from Tulsa, Oklahoma, claimed an upset victory over the reigning champion by nailing the Final Jeopardy, which just so happened to be a literature question.

DeArruda got the answer wrong, while Palmer answered correctly and wagered a huge $16,000, winning her the episode with $32,200.

Taking to the Jeopardy! Reddit forum after the episode aired, DeArruda said, “Aaron [his other opponent] and I were, and still are, absolutely thrilled for Patti. She earned it today, no doubt about it!”

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