John Stamos Reacts to ‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Who Says He Changed Her Life

Elyse Jankowski/Getty Images, Jeopardy!/YouTube

Alice Welch, an epidemiologist from Queens, New York, didn’t win her Jeopardy! game, but she did win a sweet shout-out from John Stamos.

During the Q&A segment of her Jeopardy! episode — which aired on Wednesday, May 28 — Welch explained how Stamos unwittingly inspired her to become a pharmacist.

“So, it was my senior year of high school, and I was working at a local greeting card store, and hated it,” she explained to host Ken Jennings. “And John Stamos came to town to do photos and sign autographs. And they said I couldn’t go. They were like, ‘John Stamos or your job.’ And, obviously, John Stamos.”

Three days after that celebrity encounter, Welch got a job at the local pharmacy and later went to pharmacy school. “[Stamos] changed my life,” she added with a salute. “Thanks, John.”

And Welch’s interactions with the Full House alum didn’t end there. The day after that Jeopardy!episode aired, Stamos posted a clip of Welch’s anecdote on Instagram. “Thank you for sharing this story, Alice! Put a big smile on my face,” he wrote in the post’s caption. “And for the record — I think you would found success, no matter what choice you made that day. Hope we get to meet again in person!”

Welch replied in a comment on Stamos’ post, writing, “Thanks so much for posting! This as exciting as being on @jeopardy was! You were so sweet, even though I was probably the thousandth person that day! You did unknowingly change my life and it was the perfect story! Sending you the picture now!”

As for the gameplay of Wednesday’s episode, Welch said on Reddit it was a “wild ride.” She said the Double Jeopardy! game board was “rough” but called it a thrill to compete against Thomas Sweeney, a survey technician from Morrow, Ohio, and Tyler Griffith, a criminal forensic scientist originally from Sturgis, Michigan.

“Well done, gentlemen!” she added. “I wish my [high school] would have had quiz bowl — the buzzer was truly the hardest part. It’s truly emotional to live out your dream and not have it turn out the way you hoped, but I wouldn’t change a thing! There are no words to describe just how incredible the Jeopardy! crew is. I am so thankful for all their support! I’m crossing my fingers for the Second Chance Tournament!”

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