JEOPARDY! When it was announced that returning champion Ben Chan would not be competing on April 17, 2023, fans were concerned.
They now want to know what happened to the philosophy professor at St. Norbert College.
Who is Jeopardy! champion Ben Chan?
Ben Chan made his Jeopardy! debut on April 12, 2023, and won three days in a row.
Fans were excited to see if he could continue his winning streak on April 17, but they were disappointed to learn that he wasn’t among the contestants.
While little is known about his disappearance, it is believed to be the result of “an ill-timed illness.”
“Ben Chan’s return to ‘Jeopardy!’ has been delayed due to an untimely illness,” St. Norbert College said in a statement, according to the Green Bay Press Gazette.
Instead of Chan, fans will see Toni Van Kampen, a retired systems analyst from Illinois, Daniel Ciarrocchi, a writer from Maryland, and Madeleine McKenna, an attorney from California compete on April 17.
When will Ben Chan return to Jeopardy!?
While Chan is out due to illness, his tenure on the popular game show is not over.
On Monday, May 15, 2023, he is expected to return to the Jeopardy! stage.
Who is Ben Chan?
Aside from being a game show host, Chan is well-known for his work as an assistant professor of philosophy at St. Norbert College.
Chan, a Jeopardy! fan since childhood, started working at the college in 2013.
While little is known about his personal life, the unexpected death of one of his best friends inspired him to audition for the show.
“I’ve never made a ‘bucket list,’ but I think that experience made me realize that being on ‘Jeopardy!’ was on my bucket list,” he told the Green Bay Press Gazette, later calling it “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“So my goal going in was to be super prepared and then to play with joy. I figured I would have no regrets if I did those two things,” Chan continued.
“I enjoyed the preparation a lot. I learned a lot of things I should have known years ago, and I discovered some new study tools that I think I can pass on to my students.”
Chan earned his bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and his doctorate from the University of California-Los Angeles before beginning his teaching career.
