Ken Jennings halts filming and walks off stage after he spots Jeopardy! legend in audience making surprise appearance

JEOPARDY! host Ken Jennings halted filming and walked off stage after he spotted a game show legend making an appearance in the audience.

A recent taping of the beloved trivia series had a massive surprise in store – that not even Ken or the show producers were in on.

Ken Jennings has been hosting Jeopardy! since 2021Credit: ABC

Jeopardy! Masters contestants flex their muscles on setCredit: Jeopardy!
One of the biggest stars to ever come out of the Jeopardy! franchise, Sam Buttrey, left the studio stunned with an unannounced appearance, a source exclusively told The U.S. Sun.

Sam, who recently announced his retirement from the show, was front and center to watch a taping of a recent episode.

After the 2021 Professors Tournament champion was seated, multiple show producers were stunned to see him – making an announcement to the crowd that Sam was in attendance.

Ken, 50, then walked out on stage and began doing his first monologue.

However, when he noticed Sam – wearing a white button-down and his signature glasses – Ken was taken aback and stepped away from the podium.

He walked off stage toward Sam, and was delighted to see his longtime pal coming to catch the show.

“Jeopardy! icon Sam Buttrey everyone,” Ken exclaimed to a crowd who roared with cheers in response.

The pair talked for a moment before Ken resumed his hosting duties.

Sam Buttrey competed on Jeopardy! MastersCredit: Getty

Ken Jennings host the Jeopardy! Masters TournamentCredit: Jeopardy
Sam stayed for multiple game tapings, the insider revealed, as he was joined by a few friends.

The college professor from Pacific Grove, California has built an impressive resume throughout his game show career.

He made his TV debut in December 2021 during the Professor’s Tournament – where he came out on top and scored $100,000.

After his earnings, Sam generously donated half of his prize money to the California State University Monterey Bay Scholarship Fund.

Jeopardy!’s Sam Buttrey confirms his rumored ‘retirement’ from show – and claims decision is ‘cost’ of new career move
“We saw it as found money,” he said of him and his wife, Elinda.

“Because it was local. We’re interested in helping children from the community who might not have the resources to attend college.”

The keyboard enthusiast returned the following year for the Tournament of Champions – placing as the second runner-up and earning $50,000.

In 2023, Sam came back once again for the Jeopardy! Masters tournament – placing 6th overall and adding another $50,000 to his bank account.

Earlier this year, Sam competed in the Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament where he made it through the semi-finals before getting beat out.

SAM GETS THE BAG

He was able to add another $10,000 to his impressive earnings from the show.

Sam became even more integrally part of the gameshow fabric after co-hosting the beloved Inside Jeopardy! podcast.

The trivia wiz typically discusses on-set secrets, insider gameplay and recaps from recent episodes.

However, in a September podcast release, Sam made an announcement that left fans nearly in tears – he was hanging up his Jeopardy! buzzer for good.

Sam told the news to long-time Jeopardy! producer Sam Whitcomb Foss and exec producer Michael Davies on the airwaves.

Jeopardy! Set Secrets

Jeopardy! fans don’t see everything behind the scenes from watching on TV. These hidden set features make the show run smoothly:

Each podium has a hidden riser so that all contestants appear to be the same height.
After each clue is read, signal lights go off around the game board, indicating players can buzz in and respond.
Buzz in too early, and you’re locked out for .25 seconds.
The podiums have a small white light in the lower left corner, which tells Ken Jennings who goes next.
Contrary to popular belief, the player with control doesn’t have a buzzer advantage on the next clue.
To the game board’s left is a scoreboard so the players can see their opponents’ scores.
All contestants must bring three outfits to the studio, but only the host and returning champion change for the next episode.
There are wardrobe rules, including restrictions on busy patterns, solid white, purple (like the background), and logos.
Five episodes are taped in a single day, and sometimes more.
The categories, players (aside from the returning champion), and Final Jeopardy! for a tape day are all drawn randomly to ensure fairness.
Female contestants are asked not to wear makeup, which is applied backstage, and don’t wear mascara because of sweat.
Contestants fill out a questionnaire, and producers select five Q&A topics for the host.
Host Ken isn’t allowed to interact with the contestants until after the game.
Players can request to sit in a chair while competing without question.

“I think, you know, the time has come to, as you say, hang up the buzzer.

“You talk about getting an opportunity to watch the show and how could you have a better job than that?

“Here I have the opportunity to watch Jeopardy! and talk about it. And you know what? I was going to do that anyway.

“So I’ve had a lot of fun playing the game. But if the cost of being here with you guys and focusing on the game is retirement, sure, I’m all for it.”