Has a winning contestant ever been unable to return?

[mdude04]

Has there ever been a case where a returning champion basically forfeited their status because they were unable to return due to a break in taping schedules?

[dhkendall]

Has there ever been a case where a returning champion basically forfeited their status because they were unable to return due to a break in taping schedules?

I know Claudia Corriere, who played almost exactly a year ago, didn't return after her first win for a few weeks because of a new job she was offered. After her return she was a "returning co-champ" and won again.

There was also another that took ill after their win but came back a few months later (but I believe came back in the middle of a run of a strong player and couldn't win their return game).

Both these examples, though, had them return because the contestant Coordinators are awesome people and are very accommodating.

[GoodStrategy]

There have been two times a contestant couldn't return, and they had three new contestants on the game they were unable to get to: Priscilla Ball in 2009 (due to an illness) and Claudia Corriere last year (due to a concert she was performing in when the taping scheduled changed after Trebek's injury earlier that year). In both cases they were allowed to come back at a later date as a challenger (Priscilla won her second but not third game, and Claudia lost when her third game finished triple-zero), although TPTB would not be obligated to do so (probably the reasoning for being unable to make it would be a factor). There were also two times a ToC qualifier (in both cases College champions) could not make it to the ToC taping: Vinita Kailasanath in 2003 (due to final exams) and Joey Beachum in 2009 (due to military obligations). Likewise in both cases they were invited to the following ToC (Vinita in 2004 and Joey in 2010).

ETA: dhkendall beat me to posting about Claudia's story while I was prepping my post.
ETA2: With Joey Beachum the 2009 ToC was taped at that year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas; because of that the taping date couldn't be changed to accommodate him.
ETA3: Of course there is also now the Cindy Stowell case where due to her death she won't be able to participate in a ToC she would've been eligible for.
ETA4: Claudia won two games, not one, in her first run.

[naurae29]

I know Claudia Corriere, who played almost exactly a year ago, didn't return after her first win for a few weeks because of a new job she was offered. After her return she was a "returning co-champ" and won again.

She didn't win during the co-champ episode. No one did: http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=5167

[mdude04]

Thanks for your infinite wisdom!

[dhkendall]

I know Claudia Corriere, who played almost exactly a year ago, didn't return after her first win for a few weeks because of a new job she was offered. After her return she was a "returning co-champ" and won again.

She didn't win during the co-champ episode. No one did: http://www.j-archive.com/showgame.php?game_id=5167

Ah, I remembered her run differently:

Game 1: Challenger, won
Game 2: Champ, won
Between games 2 & 3: Accepted job offer, couldn't return immediately
Game 3, next month: Co-champ, won
Game 4: Champ, lost in triple zero

Just proves what I always suspected, my memory's going.

[Bamaman]

Not quite the same, but Jerry Frankel likely would have been in the UTOC had he not died.

[seaborgium]

Not quite the same, but Jerry Frankel likely would have been in the UTOC had he not died.

He would have been in Super Jeopardy too.
Richard Kaplan would have had a spot in the UToC had he not died as well.

I know Dileep Rao from pub quiz, and he's said that in the taping break between his Friday victory and Monday loss, he got sick, and was told that if he didn't come to the next taping, he'd be retired. So he came back and finished in the red because he was in no condition to play.

There's also a story of a D.J. Smith, who supposedly made it to the semis of the Seniors Tournament in 1988, but was disqualified and not allowed to participate in the second taping day because they found he had been on Wheel of Fortune months earlier.

[BigDaddyMatty]

I know Dileep Rao from pub quiz, and he's said that in the taping break between his Friday victory and Monday loss, he got sick, and was told that if he didn't come to the next taping, he'd be retired. So he came back and finished in the red because he was in no condition to play.

This is why I think Alex should have given a bit more of a detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding Claudia Corriere's absence. By not mentioning the change in the taping schedule, he made it sound like you can just blow off J! in the middle of your run and come back when it's convenient.

[Bamaman]

Not quite the same, but Jerry Frankel likely would have been in the UTOC had he not died.

He would have been in Super Jeopardy too.
Richard Kaplan would have had a spot in the UToC had he not died as well.

I know Dileep Rao from pub quiz, and he's said that in the taping break between his Friday victory and Monday loss, he got sick, and was told that if he didn't come to the next taping, he'd be retired. So he came back and finished in the red because he was in no condition to play.

So why would they kick out Dileep and let Priscilla and Claudia come back?

[Robert K S]

So why would they kick out Dileep and let Priscilla and Claudia come back?

Double standard for Hollywood-famous quiz bowlers?

Seriously, though, the high stress of competing on Jeopardy! is a hell of a punch to the immune system. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a substantial fraction of competitors get sick after their appearances.

[alietr]

So why would they kick out Dileep and let Priscilla and Claudia come back?

Double standard for Hollywood-famous quiz bowlers?

Seriously, though, the high stress of competing on Jeopardy! is a hell of a punch to the immune system. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a substantial fraction of competitors get sick after their appearances.

I sure felt sick after mine.

[GoodStrategy]

Not quite the same, but Jerry Frankel likely would have been in the UTOC had he not died.

He would have been in Super Jeopardy too.
Richard Kaplan would have had a spot in the UToC had he not died as well.

I know Dileep Rao from pub quiz, and he's said that in the taping break between his Friday victory and Monday loss, he got sick, and was told that if he didn't come to the next taping, he'd be retired. So he came back and finished in the red because he was in no condition to play.

So why would they kick out Dileep and let Priscilla and Claudia come back?

Maybe TPTB learned from that mistake (since that was years before either Priscilla's or Claudia's non-consecutive runs).

[kristinsausville]

Didn't end up happening, but if Justin had won his seventh game, he would've had to have taken a break due to military obligation. He taped, came home, and left again right away for officers' basic, which lasted for four weeks.

[jwatcher16]

I know Dileep Rao from pub quiz, and he's said that in the taping break between his Friday victory and Monday loss, he got sick, and was told that if he didn't come to the next taping, he'd be retired. So he came back and finished in the red because he was in no condition to play.

This is why I think Alex should have given a bit more of a detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding Claudia Corriere's absence. By not mentioning the change in the taping schedule, he made it sound like you can just blow off J! in the middle of your run and come back when it's convenient.

Hi BigDaddyMatty and everyone -

I certainly remember Claudia, but don't think I remember knowing that there had been a schedule change, so yes, it might have been nice to mention that.

But if I remember correctly, it certainly didn't sound as though Alex made it seem as if she were blowing Jeopardy off. I seem to remember he said something along the lines of she got that new job and they didn't want to prevent her from taking it. Anyone else remember it that way?

[BigDaddyMatty]

I know Dileep Rao from pub quiz, and he's said that in the taping break between his Friday victory and Monday loss, he got sick, and was told that if he didn't come to the next taping, he'd be retired. So he came back and finished in the red because he was in no condition to play.

This is why I think Alex should have given a bit more of a detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding Claudia Corriere's absence. By not mentioning the change in the taping schedule, he made it sound like you can just blow off J! in the middle of your run and come back when it's convenient.

Hi BigDaddyMatty and everyone -

I certainly remember Claudia, but don't think I remember knowing that there had been a schedule change, so yes, it might have been nice to mention that.

But if I remember correctly, it certainly didn't sound as though Alex made it seem as if she were blowing Jeopardy off. I seem to remember he said something along the lines of she got that new job and they didn't want to prevent her from taking it. Anyone else remember it that way?

That's correct. It just re-aired on Daytime J! earlier this week. My point is that I don't think they would normally let a champion take a hiatus just because she, for lack of a better term, got a better offer. Contestants are asked about potential timing conflicts when they get The Call, and they are expected to be available to tape until they are dethroned. They made an exception in Claudia's case, and they did so primarily because they had had to postpone her second tape date due to Alex's injury. But by not letting the home audience in on the circumstances that necessitated the exception, they made it seem as though it was not an exception at all. If in the future some other champion has to retire because of a conflict, many viewers will conclude that TPTB are playing favorites. That's a headache they could have avoided.

[JayK33]

Temporarily, I only know of Priscilla Ball and Claudia Corriere, who have already been mentioned. Permanently, I don't think so.

[jwatcher16]

Hi BigDaddyMatty and everyone -

I do see your point; yes, some folks could assume TPTB were playing favorites. So I hope they "listen" and if another case does come up they will make things clearer.

And Happy Holidays!