Featured J!Buzz

Reigning Jeopardy! champion Drew Basile’s winning streak has ended after seven consecutive victories. 

Drew, a graduate student from Birmingham, Michigan, was defeated by Cat Pisacano, a nurse from New York City, on Friday after coming up short in Final Jeopardy!

Over the course of his run, Drew amassed a total of $129,601 in winnings, an accomplishment he said surpassed his expectations.

“I had like rent, you know, vacations in my sights,” Drew said. “And then you start to realize, wait a second — there’s a whole other higher echelon of competition that you can unlock with a couple of right answers [and] a couple of right Daily Doubles.”

While Drew is hanging up his buzzer for now, the seven-game champ will return to the Alex Trebek Stage to compete in the next Tournament of Champions. 

As one of five players in Season 40 to have secured a guaranteed spot in the next ToC by winning five games, Drew said he feels proud of his success on the show.

“It’s been years since I have played trivia,” Drew said following his fifth win. “So, to be able to pull through for five games and punch my ticket to the Tournament of Champions is really a dream come true.”

Drew’s competitive spirit has not only helped him excel on Jeopardy! but also on the reality television show Survivor.

“This is a very different experience,” Drew said of competing on Jeopardy!. “It’s high pressure in a single moment, and every decision matters in that instance. There’s no take-backs.”

“Survivor is 26 days – it’s a different kind of endurance game,” Drew added. “That past experience will not save you in this present gauntlet.”

Drew won his first game and earned the title of “giant-slayer” on June 19 when he took down 15-game super-champion Adriana Harmeyer in a runaway. 

“It didn’t feel real at all,” Drew said of his first win. “I had taken a game off of one of the most elite players who has come through here in quite a while.”

At age 23, Drew is one of the show’s youngest streaking contestants. Jeopardy! super-champ Mattea Roach was also 23 years old when they went on their 23-game winning streak during Season 38. 

“I’m certainly no Mattea Roach,” Drew said. “But it is kind of a testament to what youth gives you on Jeopardy!”

“You’re fast on the buzzer, your mind is sharp, you’re outside the box, you’re up to date on some of the more contemporary pop culture things,” he added.

While Drew is away from the contestant podium, he said he plans to brush up on topics like pop culture, music, and television. 

“There’s a misconception that studying for Jeopardy! is impossible, that you just have to pay attention and watch the show,” Drew said. “I found that every game that I played…probably two to three thousand dollars came my way because of that last-second cramming.”