ANJI Nyquist has lived the American dream by winning on Jeopardy! after being a lifelong watcher last week.
Anji told U.S. Sun about her experience and the key host attribute that puts Ken Jennings head and shoulders above Mayim Bialik so far.
Anji, a Minnesota-based social media coordinator, won July 5's Jeopardy! episode in a moment that even surprised her.
She lept from third place to the new champ by being the only one correct on Final Jeopardy.
The clue read: "Nicknamed 'the kingdom in the sky,' this landlocked nation is the only country in the world to lie entirely above 4,000 feet."
Anji was the only one who could map out "Lesotho," earning her $8800 and a priceless reaction when declared a winner, seen above.
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Anji exclusively told The U.S. Sun that feeling was: “Amazing, I was as shocked as I looked. I was not expecting to win."
Though Anji lost one game later, she won over the masses by revealing in her second interview with Ken, 49, that her cat is named NAZ REID (in all caps) after the underrated Timberwolves player.
“The whole Naz Reid thing blew up," Anji shared. "That’s been the most fun part of this.
"We filmed this in May, and Naz Reid just signed a big contract, so there was a lot of Naz Reid news the week my episode aired.
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"If you're a Naz Reid fan, you're a Naz Reid fan all year.”
'HE MAKES THE SHOW MORE ENJOYABLE'
Speaking of fandom, Anji, like many Jeopardy! devotees, is team Ken after being a religious watcher.
She shared: “I love Ken Jennings because I watched his whole run on Jeopardy! back in the day," referring to his still-unsurpassed 74-game $2.52M streak in 2004.
"I mean, how many people from Jeopardy! do you know the name of?
"He’s Mr. Jeopardy! and he does such a great job, it’s hard to compare anybody else to him.
“Mayim does a great job [too], but Ken understands the game a little more and is naturally a better host.
"They’re both great, but I'm glad he ended up hosting my episodes.
“She does a great job, and I'm sure she’ll get better over time.
"[But] Ken’s used to it.
"He's been a contestant, and he kind of gets it.
"He adds comments about the actual game as it's going on.
"He’ll let us know who's in the lead, who’s going first in Double Jeopardy.
"He adds in his own narrative, which I think makes the show a little more enjoyable.
"But I'm sure Mayim will pick that up over time. It’s probably just something you learn."
A recent Twitter user summed up the difference similarly, writing: "Another thing I enjoy about Ken is that when it comes to revealing the correct response for Final Jeopardy, he doesn’t just say it and then leave it, but rather gives a fun little story about the facts of it."
Some fans have noticed that Mayim struggles to buzz in with the same level of awareness- people have even snarked that her interview rapport is stilted, not to mention her so-called pauses when ruling.
Anji did admit: "It is not easy to host a show like that, especially after Alex Trebek, who was such a professional.
"When he passed, I was like, 'Will they ever find someone as good as him?' - and they won't find anybody.
"I don't think you can hold a candle to him, no offense to Ken or Mayim.
"[But] Jeopardy! is as fun as big as it was, and they ushered it into a new era."
Mayim, 47, and winningest contestant Ken were chosen as the co-successors to the late Alex in 2022 after his tragic passing at age 80.
Not only has viewership thrived with 20M weekly watchers but both scored Emmy nominations this week for Outstanding Game Show Host just one year in.
'BRING A LAYER'
Anji first auditioned in July 2022 and has been watching the beloved game show since she was 13.
Anji advised future contestants: “It’s so cold in that studio, and I'm always cold.
“They warn you that it's cold, but it's so cold. Bring something warm to wear even when you're not on stage.
"That’s some advice I'd give- your shirt might be pretty but layer up.
“The stage is so much smaller than I was expecting. The board and contestants aren't that far apart. Once you win, you're not that far from Ken."
Anji also scored some fond memories from sticking around for her entire tape day- or five episodes.
"While on set, I joked with a producer Jimmy [Maguire], about them starting up the Clue Crew again with me on it," she revealed.
“The whole day was so exciting. My [tape day] group was so great, we all have a group chat still going, and I don’t feel like that happens a lot."
To study up, Anji: “Made some flashcards of planets, got a big kids book on the presidents, classic lit, opera, and I have a few old Jeopardy! board games, so I was going through the card decks of those with my boyfriend.”
"All in all, it was about a year from when I took the test to when my episode aired," which entailed three different Zoom auditions.
"For some people, it goes a little quicker - but people also try for a long time."
THOUGHTS ON TOMMY JOHN DAILY DOUBLE
A few episodes after Anji's two games, two-day winner Alex Gordon, who had scored two runaway victories, lost in a wild fashion.
The Somers, New York medical student botched his chances of winning by missing a $12,000 surgical Daily Double.
Some fans were bothered by Ken's commentary in that moment.
He urged Alex with just five clues left on the board: "How confident are you in a medical category, Alex?"
Alex then bet an unusually sizable amount towards the tail end of the game, sealing his fate.
Anji shared: "I did see that Tommy John Daily Double."
"I knew right away, but you don't know if you're gonna know. It was a bummer for him.
"But that's what Jeopardy! is. And I almost didn't win, I only won right at the end."
"I think the reaction [to blame Ken] was overdramatized.
"Ken has no stake in who wins. It's Jeopardy! and he just wants to see a good game, and that is part of it.
"I'm sure Alex was probably in his head, 'this is a category I'm confident in, so let's go with my gut and wager a lot.'
"If I were a med student and it was a medical sort of question, I would have done the same thing."
Though when reminded there were only five clues left when Alex chose to go with a $12,000 bet, Anji did relent, "I guess you're right, but that's Jeopardy!."
'SPECIAL MEMORY'
Anji also opened up about why Jeopardy! means so much to her with a moving story that involves Ken's rival James Holzhauer.
“Before my dad passed away, I lived with him and took care of him when he had dementia.
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"We would watch together when James Holzahuer was on his run," referring to the poker pro and Masters winner's monster 32-day streak in 2019.
“My dad would do the ‘all in’ motion with James, and he would cheer when he got them right, so that's a special memory for me.
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