HOLR is chatting with Jeopardy! G.O.A.T, Brad Rutter about his passion for trivia, his overall experience, and the new thrilling quiz show, The Chase!

Brad Rutter is the Jeopardy! G.O.A.T, and today he’s sitting down to chat with HOLR about everything from his passion for trivia to his experience on Jeopardy! to the latest thrilling game show- The Chase!

The Chase recently returned for its 4^th Season on ABC in the US and CityTV in Canada and will air new episodes weekly. The Chase is a heart-racing quiz show where three competitors must pit their wits and face off against the Chaser, a ruthless quiz genius determined to stop them from winning cash prizes. As a result, each hourlong episode features a fast-paced battle of brainpower in which contestants are challenged to answer up to 166 questions across all topics. Be sure to tune into the show on February 9th because Brad will be the Chaser during this episode of The Chase!

Keep reading to check out HOLR’s full conversation with Brad, below!

Tell us about how you got your start in the industry.

Well, it was basically through Jeopardy! I won the million-dollar Master’s tournament at Radio City in 2003 and as I was checking out of the hotel, I ran into some crew members and they were like, “Hey, did you ever think about being on television, you’re really natural at it.” I guess it had crossed my mind as a kid but I didn’t really think it was anything people did, so that’s what really put the idea in my head.

You remain the all-time biggest winner of Jeopardy! according to the game show’s Hall of Fame. What can you tell us about your overall experience in terms of being on the show and achieving this incredible accomplishment?

It’s been obviously fantastic. The best part of it is meeting the other contestants and I’ve made lifelong friendships through the course of the all-star tournaments. Not so much my original run, but they bring the same people back a lot and you get to know them, and a lot of them actually live here in L.A.

How challenging was it to be featured on ‘Jeopardy!’? You also returned for Jeopardy!’s “Greatest of all Time.” What was that like?

The first time you’re on- at least in my experience- it was just incredibly nerve-racking. What a lot of people don’t know is that they tape 5 shows a day. So they’ll need a certain number of contestants and they’ll need a couple of alternates. The first time I was there I was one of the alternates. This means you know you’re probably going to be up first or second the next day. If I had gone on the first day, I probably would’ve been too nervous to win.

Fortunately, I got to sit in the studio and watch all day to see how it worked. Even so, when you first get up there, it’s pretty intimidating. The studio is a lot smaller than what it looks like on TV. The board is also a lot closer to you. They just go right into it- there is really no ceremony to it. All of a sudden there’s Alex Trebek and he’s 10 feet from me! It’s intense.

Where did you get your passion and love for trivia?

I think I’ve always had it for as long as I can remember. The logical place to start is that my parents had been big fans of the old Jeopardy! in the ’60s that baby boomers love to watch. When they brought it back with Alex in the ’80s I was a little kid and we watched it every night. By the time I got to high school, I realized I could probably get on the show and do okay. I would’ve thought you were crazy if you told me I would’ve done as well as I actually did. Even apart from that, I’ve always enjoyed reading and watching documentaries- things like that. I always liked knowing things

Talk to us about the thrilling quiz show, The Chase, which just returned for its 4^th Season. What can viewers expect when tuning in?

The concept of the show is bringing on a team of 3 trivia amateurs who think they’re good. We give them the opportunity to prove it or not by taking on 5 Chasers who are luminaries of the quiz show and trivia world. They have a chance to answer a couple of rapid-fire questions at the beginning to build the cash bank and then they risk that each individually against whoever the Chaser happens to be that night.

Throughout the game, the trivia amateurs can take the different offers, but if the Chaser catches you, you’re done! That means you can’t stick around for the final chase if you’re caught. If you get your bank home, you can make it to the final Chase and that’s where all the big money is on the line. It’s rapid-fire, 2 minutes. If the Chaser can run you down with answering those 50 or 20 questions (they’re different questions) then the team goes home with nothing. If the Chasers can’t, then you’ll probably go home with around 6 figures.

What’s next for you?

Not that I can talk about! I’ll be the Chaser on February 9th so check me out. You can see me there. There are also some things in the works but unfortunately, I can’t talk about them just yet.

Check out Brad Rutter on social media below!

Published by HOLR Magazine.