Two Ottawa residents compete on 'Jeopardy!' this week
Getting on the gameshow Jeopardy is said to be statistically harder than getting in to Harvard, but this week, two of the contestants competing on the show just happen to be from Ottawa.
Ottawa resident Kelsey Kaunisviita Vockrodt is making her Jeopardy debut Monday night.
"It was just a dream come true," says Kaunisviita Vockrodt. "It was very surreal. I couldn't believe it was really happening."
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
Kaunisviita Vockrodt has been trying for years to get on the show and says it's more intimidating to compete in person.
"I'd say it definitely feels harder than when you're watching from home. There's a whole studio audience, and it's going through your mind that, oh, this is really happening. And, I actually lose money if I say the wrong thing. Whereas at home, you know, you can just say whatever you want."
But she's not the only contestant from Ottawa on the famous trivia show this week.
Jonquil Garrick-Reynolds will also be representing the nation's capital this Thursday.
"It was magic," says Garrick-Reynolds. "It was something I've dreamed about since I was a kid watching jeopardy with my grandparents on the couch."
"I was surprised there'd be another Canadian at the same tape day," says Kaunisviita Vockrodt. "And then when we realized we were both from Ottawa, it was like we were both shocked. It was so much fun to have someone from home there when I was very anxious about the whole thing."
Garrick-Reynolds says as tough as the questions — or answers — are, the timing of the buzzer can sometimes be even tougher.
"Getting the rhythm of the buzzer is really tough off the top. You do have a rehearsal, so you do get to practise with it a little. But it locks you out if you press it too hard, too fast, too long."
Neither of this week's Ottawa contestants graduated high school, which makes their appearance on one of the hardest gameshows even more impressive.
"We have a lot of opportunities here to learn," says Garrick-Reynolds. "We've got all the museums, being in the national capital region. We have the Ottawa Public Library. There's lots of opportunities for people to try new things and learn doing that."
Both Garrick-Reynolds and Kaunisviita Vockrodt have plans for a viewing party with friends and family to watch them compete when their episodes air.
Kaunisviita Vockrodt says for anyone else thinking about applying for the show, "Everyone should take the any time test. If you have any interest in the show at all, just take it. You can take it once a year. It's free. And if you don't pass it, just take it again next year. "
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump's Madison Square Garden event features crude and racist insults
Donald Trump took the stage Sunday night at New York’s Madison Square Garden to deliver his campaign's closing argument with the election nine days away after several of his allies used crude and racist insults toward U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and other critics of the former president.
B.C. election results: Mail-in ballots heavily favour NDP, only absentee ballots left to count
The majority of mail-in ballots tallied this weekend for the final count in B.C.’s nail-bitingly close 2024 provincial election went to the NDP, increasing the party’s chances of clinching a third term.
Here's when you need to change your clock back
Millions of Canadians will notice their clocks turn back by one hour on Nov. 3, marking the end of daylight saving time this year.
New polls show Sask. NDP leading over Sask. Party ahead of election day
A pair of new pre-election polls indicate that the Saskatchewan NDP has a slight lead ahead of election day.
17-year-old charged for driving 188 km/h on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa
A 17-year-old Ottawa driver was caught speeding nearly 90 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 417.
Hollywood star Victor Garber gets emotional after surprise meeting with his former teacher in London, Ont.
Victor Garber got teary-eyed when he walked into a brunch in his honour Sunday in London, Ont.
Another bumpy week ahead as Trudeau faces deadlines from Liberal MPs, Bloc
Another week, another raft of imminent challenges to Justin Trudeau's leadership of both the country and the Liberal Party.
He lost a finger and survived a kidnapping. Then, this climber took on a 9,000-foot 'death-trap'
With jaw-dropping big wall ascents and a life packed with adrenaline and adventure, climber Tommy Caldwell has had a career worthy of – and captured by – a feature film.
How to make sure your used clothes go to the right place – and not to organized crime
Giving away used clothes for a second life feels like an act of charity – and it often is. But it’s become more complicated. A W5 investigation has discovered allegations that organized crime players are muscling in on charities to access their donation bins.