Jeopardy! Champ Katie Sekelsky Reveals That She Predicted Her Winning Amount
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Jeopardy! winner Katie Sekelsky has earned fan praise after revealing that she predicted her winning amount before taping the competition show.
The graphic designer from Kent, Ohio had a three-night winning streak going into Wednesday's show that ended when she got the Final Jeopardy! question wrong. But after her previous Tuesday win, she had $19,201 - a number she apparently had in mind.
"The night before my first @Jeopardy taping, I was alone in the hotel, trying to calm down and 'visualizing' a win," Sekelsky revealed on Twitter Wednesday. "I sketched myself at a podium, with a winning-type dollar amount."
"And that winning-type dollar amount was $19,201. This is real," she continued, sharing side-by-side photos of her sketch and herself at the podium from the close of Tuesday's show.
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The night before my first @Jeopardy taping, I was alone in the hotel, trying to calm down and "visualizing" a win. I sketched myself at a podium, with a winning-type dollar amount.
And that winning-type dollar amount was $19,201. This is real. pic.twitter.com/a6nQZtCs1n— Katie Sekelsky (@Sekelsky) June 16, 2021
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In a follow-up tweet, the champion assured cynical fans that she has the "receipts" to prove that she drew the sketch prior to taping.
"This was not on my mind at all while wagering," Sekelsky wrote. "I was just betting what I needed to in case Erin bet everything and got it right. And the drawing was sent to @muffymarracco @lynnqyu and @AriannaHaut before taping. THERE ARE RECEIPTS."
Fans were quick to commend her for her prediction, with one replying, "Well Katie that's amazing! You are a visionary!"
"Can you give me a little help with lottery numbers?" another teased.
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Sekelsky's start on Jeopardy! last Friday was hosted by Big Bang Theory alum Mayim Bialik, before Today anchor Savannah Guthrie took over the podium on Monday. The pair have been the latest celebs to guest host the show after the death of beloved host Alex Trebek last year.
"There's a lot of responsibility that falls on the host," Bialik told PEOPLE in March. "I think also there's a lot of iconic pressure. When I was looking over some of the scripts, I was thinking, how would Alex [Trebek] say this? And that's probably not who I'm expected to be, Alex Trebek, but in my head, I am Alex Trebek - that's who I want to be."
"I've been saying it's really one of the most iconic things I think that I'm ever going to do in my career," Bialik added. "It's going to feel like Forrest Gump, like I've been inserted into the Jeopardy! set."
Jeopardy! airs weeknights in syndication (check local listings).
