Who is ‘Jeopardy!’ contestant Evan Jones? Their job, defeat reaction, and long-time love of the trivia show

On Dec. 2, 2024, Evan Jones was crowned the new Jeopardy! champion after beating out three competitors. A strong advantage in the Double Jeopardy round helped them take the top spot, though it was close.

Evan won $17,999 by the end of the night, beating their closest contestant Mike Ross by over $7000. They were then beaten by returning champ Stevie Ruiz on Dec. 3. If you’re interested in their background, job, and history, here’s a rundown of who Evan is and where they picked up all that diverse knowledge.

Evan is a software designer from Seattle

Evan is a software designer who conceptualizes how a system will work before it’s implemented or modified. After completing an IT degree, they started working in Seattle, Washington, developing computer programs, analyzing systems, and troubleshooting software.

According to Bits and Deets, Evan auditioned in Feb. 2023 and proceeded with the showrunners 18 months later in Aug. 2024. They are a self-professed huge fan of the trivia show.

They wrote on the series’ subreddit, “I’m a longtime lurker in this sub, and I’m excited to introduce myself to this wonderful community. I’m beyond thrilled to get to be a part of my favorite game show of all time (and more than a little nervous about appearing on national television) tune in this Monday and wish me luck!”

Evan’s Jeopardy! statistics

Their career stats on the show were calculated and published on The Jeopardy Fan website:

• 25 correct, 3 incorrect
• 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 3 rebound opportunities)
• 45.61 percent in first on buzzer (26/57)
• 1/1 on Daily Doubles (net earned: $3000)
• 0/1 in Final Jeopardy
• Average Coryat: $19,600

Their reaction post-defeat

Speaking after their Dec. 3 defeat to Stevie, Evan was vocal on the subreddit, talking about how the moment has lived “rent-free” in their head for the two months before the episode aired.

When Stevie led Evan into Final Jeopardy, they assumed that Stevie would wager to cover them. “I knew I couldn’t win if he was correct and made the conventional wager, and I figured a Triple Stumper was more likely than me getting it and Stevie missing, so I didn’t want to risk too much. I wagered to put myself $1 ahead of Stevie’s pre-FJ score if I was correct, just in case he wagered zero.”

They then described one of the “wildest emotional deltas” they ever experienced: the seconds between when host Ken Jennings revealed Stevie was incorrect but placed a small wager. Evan continued, “Given Stevie’s choice of small wager, I don’t think this was a winnable game for me — if I had been leading Stevie into FJ, I would have wagered for the lockout and missed.”

“To have had a prayer, I would have needed to have so much of a lead over Stevie so as to be able to make a small wager and force him to be correct, and that was just not happening against a player as smart and fast on the buzzer as him.” Despite the loss, Evan said it was an “incredible adventure” and that they’d do it again in a heartbeat.