‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Gives Advice to Those Scared to Apply

A Jeopardy! contestant shared that he was afraid to apply to the game show due to his anxiety. However, he eventually did and made it on Season 41. He is now giving advice to those who may be too afraid to apply.

“Hi Reddit, I’m Mark from the first week of this season. This week is the one-year anniversary of my Getting the Call to be on the show, and I wanted to commemorate that milestone by offering some advice and encouragement to those who may be in a similar boat as I was. Truth is, I was always afraid of being on Jeopardy! because I didn’t think my anxiety would let me, and from reading this subreddit, I know there are others who feel the same way,” he wrote on Reddit.

“So with the caveat that everyone’s anxiety is different, and I am the opposite of a medical professional, I’d like to share some coping strategies I discovered along the way.

Mark Fitzpatrick, a content manager from Riverside, Connecticut, had a five-day winning streak at the beginning of Season 41 with a total of $107,201.

Fitzpatrick shared step by step how he navigated the process and what he did to calm his nerves. “I don’t think I ever would have taken the Anytime Test if I thought I’d actually ever get a chance to appear on the show, too scary,” he wrote. One thing that motivated him to take it was the “long odds” of actually being picked. “I just viewed it as something to do so that I could say I tried the next time someone said I should be on the show. So if you haven’t taken the Anytime Test because you’re worried about being on stage, I say go for it anyway and just convince yourself you won’t be.”

His audition took place over Zoom, which he said made it seem more casual, back in October 2020. “About 80-90% of people who audition won’t get called, so know that not getting called isn’t a personal failing,” Fitzpatrick wrote. “It’s just a numbers game. Knowing that lessened the expectations.”

He then shared that he got the call and that’s when it all sunk in. “Okay, this is where it gets difficult. If they call you and tell you they want you on the show, it gets a bit harder to convince yourself that you’ll never be on the show. What I personally found helpful was the surreality of it all; I may have had the most toned-down, subdued reaction to getting the news ever, and probably made the producers question why they had picked me in the first place. But I was excited–it just didn’t seem real to me, and that helped a ton,” Fitzpatrick wrote.

As for advice during that round, he said, “If you’re worried about anxiety, I recommend prepping differently. Spend less time studying and more time distracting yourself. I was fortunate enough to have a trip to Italy already planned a few weeks before my tape day, and it was such a blessing to have something like that occupy my mind. Unfortunately, planning a last-minute international trip is impractical, but if you can find somewhere local to get away to, I absolutely recommend it. It is invaluable to have something else on your mind. Sure, I didn’t study as much wagering strategy as I could have (as anyone who watched me could have guessed), but I can’t regret taking it easy.”

During tape day, Fitzpatrick said that he didn’t have much advice. “Try to have fun, savor every moment,” he said.

“I felt like by worrying so much about making it to tape day, by the time I actually made it into the studio I had less to worry about. I wanted to do well, but knew I was statistically most likely to lose my one and only appearance, so again, the low odds reduced the pressure. And the important thing to remember is that, as cliched as it sounds, you have nothing to lose once you’re up on the stage: They don’t make you pay the money back if you end up negative, despite what The Simpsons told you,” he ended.