'Fantastic': Super champion Jamie Ding finishes his winning run on 'Jeopardy'

Jamie Ding’s “Jeopardy!” winning streak came to a adjacent Monday night, ending the fifth-longest triumph streak successful amusement history. But astatine slightest helium got to accidental goodbye.

His cheeky Final Jeopardy reply work “TTFN” — “ta-ta for now” — arsenic helium understood determination was nary mode to travel backmost from a astir 14,000-point shortage to support his streak going. The polite adieu was apropos for a subordinate immoderate fans considered the show’s nicest ever.

“I wouldn’t person done that,” Ding told People, “if determination had adjacent been a accidental of maine coming retired with the victory.” He couldn’t retrieve different clip a “Jeopardy!” ace champion, i.e. a contestant who has racked up 5 oregon much consecutive wins, had mislaid that big.

His nonaccomplishment came aft 31 victories, 1 crippled shy of James Holzhauer’s 32-game streak successful 2019. Current big Ken Jennings holds the record, having clocked 74 games successful a enactment successful 2004. Ding mislaid to planetary chess maestro Greg Shahade.

Ding didn’t travel adjacent to Holzhauer’s prize haul of astir $2.5 million, unfortunately, amassing lone $882,605 implicit his six-week streak. Yeah, “only.” The quality came because, arsenic the New York Times noted, the 33-year-old bureaucrat-slash-law pupil didn’t spell all-in wagering connected Daily Doubles similar Holzhauer had.

But Holzhauer didn’t stone an orangish wardrobe with Ding’s level of committedness to his favourite color. The second told NYT helium mightiness request to store for much orangish garb arsenic helium preps for the “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions.

“I person a estimation to uphold,” helium said.

And definite he’s bummed to beryllium done, helium told People, but he’s besides blessed his streak happened astatine all.

“I kept proceeding however it was bringing radical together, and I emotion that precise much,” Ding told the personage quality outlet. “I’ve heard radical say, ‘It’s bully to person thing affirmative connected TV!’”

That said, watching himself connected TV hasn’t been an wholly bully experience. First off, helium told NYT, “I tin beryllium beauteous self-critical — like, Why did you bash that? Or, What’s incorrect with your face?”

Then determination was the hostility astir whether helium would support winning, similar during the occurrence wherever helium won for the 30th time.

“I mean, I was tense watching it,” helium told “Good Morning America” connected Friday, “and I knew the outcome.” That game, helium said, was “fantastic,” arsenic was the full experience.

“Nobody goes successful readying to triumph 30 games,” Ding said connected “GMA.” “Only a implicit egomaniac would bash that. I mean, I thought, like, I entertained the possibility. It’s bully to imagination large but that it’s really happened is, it’s amazing.”