A would-be Jeopardy! contestant has revealed what happened when they auditioned for the hit gameshow.

Journalist Rob London has opened up about how he did when he tried to compete on the show after wanting to try out since he was “6 years old.” The writer explained that he has a good memory and a “broad but shallow” knowledge base believing that would make him an ideal contestant.

Explaining that he put off applying for many years due to living in Canada and being nowhere near any of the audition dates Rob said he finally attended an audition in the summer of 2017 when they were held in Toronto which was was a few hours from his home. Rob described how he completed the online entry test which contained “fifty Jeopardy!-style questions in a variety of categories” adding that “you’ve got 15 seconds to answer each one, but you don’t have to put it in the form of a question.”

Writing for Collider, Rob admitted he waited a few months before being notified that he was invited to an in-person audition in Toronto in November. Attending Toronto’s Royal York Hotel Rob met Maggie Speak, “the show’s veteran contestant wrangler.” He explained how he mingled with the other applicants before doing another fifty-question test.

The hopeful contestants were then treated to an impromptu appearance by Alex Trebek who stopped by as he just happened to be in town, heading to Ottawa to receive the Order of Canada (the highest civilian honor for a Canadian). The would-be contestants then had to simulate taking part in the post-commercial break contestant interviews.

The final phase of the auditions saw the group play a mock round of Jeopardy!, “complete with the actual buzzers from the show, or at least reasonable facsimiles of them.” Rob explained that “mastery of the buzzer is key to Jeopardy! success,” adding that “everybody got a turn to play a few rounds, and I did pretty well.”

With that the group were given a goody bag as a reward for taking part that included a clicky pen and a set of earphones, “which one would-be contestant dubbed ‘Beats by Trebek.'” They then left the building to return home and await news of if they had been successful.

Rob said: “I watched my inbox and mailbox like a fish hawk for a few months, but no reply came and 18 months later, my eligibility period expired. I wasn’t going to be on Jeopardy! – that time, at least. The show has changed since I auditioned. Speak retired, Trebek died in 2020, and was eventually replaced as host by Jeopardy! GOAT Jennings.

“Post-COVID, auditions are no longer held in-person, but via the magic of Zoom. I still dutifully try the online test every year but have yet to hear back to make it to another audition. Still, hope springs eternal, and I feel that one day, I’ll be on that stage, testing my intellect on national TV.”