For $4,000: Auburn local who wins cash in 2 days on Jeopardy! Who is Lee Wilkins?

There are a lot of folks who think they would make an excellent Jeopardy! contestant, but this Auburn woman actually made her bucket-list dream come true. Lee Wilkins, a regulatory affairs coordinator with East Alabama Health, appeared on April episodes of Jeopardy! bringing home $4,000 after her two-night stint.

Lee lives and works in Auburn and has been with EAH for almost 27 years. Self-described as a “lifelong learner” Lee said her experience on Jeopardy! provided her “a challenge that would make [her] go out significantly outside of [her] comfort zone.” Although it was a really good experience for her, she doesn’t think she would do it again. She muses, “I’m a great player from my favorite chair in my home, blurting out answers and not having to do math and make wagers, or stand in front of television cameras.”

Who hasn’t wondered if they have what it takes to hold our own on a show like Jeopardy!? I spoke with Lee about her experience and asked her to spill the beans about what it’s really like to be the world’s most famous game show.

What is the whole Jeopardy! process like?

Lee: I took the Anytime Test online at the insistence of my son, Gabe. I heard back from Sony Pictures Television within a couple of weeks, and over the next few months I made it through three more auditions. I was told I would be in the contestant pool for about 18 months, and if I didn’t hear anything from them by then, I could take the test again and start the process over. This January, I had begun to feel that perhaps I had run out the clock, but lo and behold, I was contacted and scheduled for taping shortly after that!

What was the most rigorous moment of the whole competition?

Lee: One of the toughest things about it was managing the buzzer and answering in the form of a question. The lowest moment for me was in the second game when the question about Auburn came up. Brian buzzed in ahead of me, and not only was the answer “Auburn,” but it was a Daily Double as well. That was really embarrassing for me, and I beat myself up about it afterwards.

What are your fondest memories of the experience?

Lee: Meeting the other contestants and being treated with such kindness by the Jeopardy! staff and crew. Also, Ken Jennings is a very entertaining host and engages with the studio audience during the commercial breaks. My personal goal was modest – to earn enough to cover the trip expenses for myself and my family, and I did. I feel that I was given a great gift with this experience.

You can watch Lee’s episodes of Jeopardy! (and all the others, if you like) streaming on Pluto TV or find your station on Jeopardy’s website.

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