Robert Voyles, adult services librarian of the Leesburg Public Library, said his earliest memory of watching “Jeopardy” is when his classmate was on a special children’s tournament when he was around 12 years old.
He became a regular watcher after that. “I thought it was cool someone I knew would be on TV,” Voyles said. “I eventually became a regular watcher when Ken Jennings made the headlines for his historic (74-win) run and I wanted to see how it would end every night he was on.”
Voyles said he continued watching the show to see if anyone would come close to Jennings’ record.
“I also started developing deeper academic interests and watching ‘Jeopardy’ would provide me opportunities to learn or test my current knowledge,” he added. “Of course, I also have to give credit to the late, great Alex Trebek, who always provided a welcoming voice that encouraged the pursuit of knowledge.”
As a librarian, Voyles said that he felt he would be a good contestant because of his love of academics and studying.
Now, several years later, Voyles appeared on “Jeopardy” on July 11 to test his knowledge in front of a live studio audience. He said his family and friends motivated him to apply.
“As a regular viewer, I felt a call to see if I had what it takes to compete with all the intelligent people I saw on the show throughout the years,” Voyles said. “I knew that it would be completely different being up on stage compared to being an armchair contestant. There is little pressure when you are in the comfort of your own home. I always wanted to see if I had what it takes and I finally got that chance.”
Voyles said he was in a state of disbelief after receiving a text and follow-up phone call from producers letting him know he was chosen to be a contestant.
“They even reassured me that this was not a joke based on my stunned responses to them. That was the moment where it first felt real during the whole process. Not passing the test, not being invited to interview, but rather that confirmation that I was picked,” Voyles explained.
Before finally making it on the show, Voyles took an online test to qualify for the show multiple times, most recently in 2021.
After taking the last test, Voyles was contacted in 2022 by the show’s staff for an interview. Weeks later, he was told he would be a contestant on “Jeopardy.”
“I was originally scheduled to tape in May 2023, but the show ended up rescheduling me to the last day of taping for the season,” Voyles said. “I had a work conflict, and I was assured that I could come on for next season. Then the WGA strike happened. That ended up pushing my new tape date to just over a year after the original plan.”
Voyles said he did not mind having his tape date pushed back.
“I’m almost thankful for the delay as it gave me more time to practice, study and accumulate more knowledge. I had more time to read up on unfamiliar topics and cover my bases,” Voyles said.
To prep for the show, Voyles said his family, friends and co-workers all helped him by constantly quizzing him with random trivia. The best questions, according to Voyles, were focused on topics he had no prior knowledge of, such as sports and pop culture.
“Some questions I knew, while many I took as an opportunity to learn unfamiliar topics,” he said. One of my coworkers, Troy Bussinger, even crafted a homemade buzzer for me to practice my reflexes. I had weaknesses I wanted to shore up and I appreciated every opportunity to strengthen gaps in my knowledge.”
Voyles said one of his favorite questions asked during the show was related to one of his favorite empires in history and that he “was proud to have been able to answer it correctly.”
The best advice Voyles received throughout the experience came from the show’s producers right before taping for the day.
“They made it a point to congratulate us regardless of our performance because the fact that we were selected for the show was a huge accomplishment,” Voyles said.
Voyles said he would be watching the episode with his co-workers.
“The Leesburg Public Library staff were generous enough to put something together on my behalf as we planned to watch at the library after hours,” Voyles said. “It’s a great feeling knowing that my colleagues are so supportive of my endeavor.”
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
