Jeopardy! viewers spot huge downside to favorite Sam Buttrey co-hosting show podcast as new role leaves fans ‘upset’

JEOPARDY! viewers have spotted a big downside to fan-favorite champion Sam Buttrey co-hosting the Inside Jeopardy! podcast.

Earlier this week, the official Jeopardy! social media accounts announced that Sam would co-host the podcast with long-time Jeopardy! producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss.

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New Inside Jeopardy! co-host Sam Buttrey on Jeopardy!Credit: Getty

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Sam Buttrey co-hosting the Inside Jeopardy! podcast with Jeopardy! producer Sarah Whitcomb FossCredit: Instagram / jeopardy
The weekly podcast features show announcements, episode recaps, and interviews with big winners.

On Instagram, Sam, 63, and Sarah were pictured in the podcast studio with a pair of mics and an Emmy on the table in front of them.

The caption read, “Hold onto your butts! #InsideJeopardy! is back with a new co-host, SAM BUTTREY!”

In the comment section, one fan wrote, “I loved Sam on Jeopardy. He was my favorite player. Love his quick sense of humor!”

A second repeated his catchphrase, writing, “Can’t think of a better person to BRING IT!!!”

Before the podcast hosting gig, Sam was an associate professor of operations research at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

Recently, he was the Tournament of Champions 2nd runner-up in 2022 and in 2023, he competed in the Jeopardy! Masters Tournament – garnering a large fanbase throughout his time on the game show.

Fans discussed Sam’s newly appointed position, and the ramifications of what it could mean as his time as a contestant, on a Jeopardy-dedicated Reddit board.

“Mind blown. BRING IT!” commented one fan.

“Oh I’m down for this. Love me some Sam,” added another.

Jeopardy! icon Sam Buttrey snags new hosting gig as fans say beloved contestant ‘should be cast’ for show spinoff
A third wrote, “Great news for Butt Heads everywhere.”

One Redditor questioned, “Does this mean Sam can’t participate in tournaments any more?”

“Also wondering about this. It would feel strange to not see him in next year’s [Jeopardy Invitational Tournament], replied another.

“I see what Jeopardy is doing. Getting contestants to play a game only to employ them!!!!” added a third.

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.

WHAT’S THE BUZZ?

One commenter asked, “I wonder what happened with Buzzy?

“I enjoy both of them though (and Sarah, of course). I was surprised to see it in my feed – glad it’s back!”

The fan was questioning the absence of the 2017 Tournament of Champions winner, Buzzy Cohen, 39.

Buzzy was the original Inside Jeopardy co-host.

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Sarah Whitcomb Foss and Buzzy Cohen on a promotional poster for Inside Jeopardy!Credit: Jeopardy!
“I hope this is in addition to buzzy, not instead of buzzy,” wrote another concerned fan.

“Is Buzzy out?” asked a third. “I used to listen regularly when I traveled more for work. Great podcast!”

“I love Buzzy but Sam will be great! He’s the best,” commented a fourth.

During the new episode, it was heavily implied that Sam, Sarah, and Executive Producer Michael Davies would now host the podcast.

There was no mention of Buzzy during the 30-minute episode.

But Sarah implied that Buzzy would not return and that Sam had taken his place.

“Sam, you’re going to fly back down next week,” she said at the end of the episode, as the professor-turned-Bon Vivant lives in Monterey, California.

“[Executuve Producer] Michael Davies will be back, so we’re going to have all three of us here in the pod,” she closed.

The wording of “all three of us” seemingly confirms Buzzy is no longer involved.

Buzzy, a fan-favorite contestant in his own right, co-hosted the pod for its first two years.

That said, Buzzy’s profile remains on the Jeopardy! website, where he’s listed as “A contributor on the weekly Inside Jeopardy! podcast.”

Buzzy’s departure may be the same reason fans thought he was passed over as host of Pop Culture Jeopardy!.

As Redditors realized last month: “Buzzy is under contract with the History Channel. He’s hosting a game show on there called The Einstein Challenge.”

Buzzy likely has a contract with The History Channel that could prevent him from working on Jeopardy!

A WARM WELCOME

“Sam, it’s so good to have you here in the pod,” Sarah said at the start of Mondya’s all-new episode. “And can we just say that you’re gonna be in the pod a lot more now?”

“I was hoping you would say that, Sarah. My plan is to join you whenever you’ll have me,” the 2021 Professors Tournament winner replied.

“We’ve been sitting on this [news] for a long time,” Sarah added, mentioning that Sam will be an “official” podcast co-host.

“I’m delighted to be here as part of the podcast and as part of the Jeopardy! team,” Sam shared.

Sarah revealed that Sam would also travel with the team when they visit college campuses and do live episodes of Inside Jeopardy!

Sam made his first Jeopardy! appearance in 2021 before returning to the trivia competition for the 2022 ToC – where he made it to the finals.

His hilarious on-stage presence, side hustle as a Soundcloud songwriter, and resemblance to Steve Martin made him an instant fan favorite.

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Host Ken Jennings on the Jeopardy! Masters stage with Mattea Roach, Matt Amodio, and Sam ButtreyCredit: Getty

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Fan-favorite player Sam Buttrey behind the contestant’s podium during the Jeopardy Masters tournamentCredit: Getty

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ABC’s Jeopardy! Masters star Sam ButtreyCredit: Getty