Brad Rutter Addresses 'Conspiracy Theorists' Over Influx of 'Jeopardy!' Super Champs

Former Jeopardy! victor Brad Rutter has spoken out about "conspiracy theorists" who have voiced suspicion over the recent influx of super champs on the show.

Over the past several months, a number of contestants have drawn headlines for achieving long winning streaks, including Matt Amodio with 38 consecutive victories, Jonathan Fisher with 11, and Courtney Shah and Brian Chang with seven apiece.

With current champ Amy Schneider securing her 31st win on Wednesday night's installment of the show, some Jeopardy! fans on social media have questioned why there have been so many successful contestants of late.

Rutter—who enjoyed a five-game win streak on the show back in 2000, before the rules were changed to allow champions to return after more than five victories—has explained that it's all a question of odds as to how the big winners arrive.

"It seems like we have super champions coming on every couple of months or so now, which has all the conspiracy theorists talking of course," he said in an interview with TV Insider.

Rutter, who is the show's all-time top money winner with $4,938,436 after achieving phenomenal success in Jeopardy! tournaments, went on: "Somebody asked me about it the other day and the example I gave, which I'm not sure is great, was if you flip a coin a million times, you'd be surprised how many times it'll come up heads 20 or 30 times in a row.

"It's way more than you would expect. Even if they wanted to rig [the game], I don't know how they could. This kind of stuff just happens. And I think we should just enjoy it while it's happening."

Of Schneider's current record-breaking Jeopardy! run, which has seen her scoop the highest earnings and longest win streak of all women to have competed on the show, Rutter said: "I have watched Amy and obviously, she's fantastic."

Rutter currently appears on general knowledge quiz show The Chase alongside fellow Jeopardy! champs James Holzhauer, who earned 32 wins on Jeopardy in 2019, and Ken Jennings, who has topped the table with 74 victories since 2004.

With The Chase having returned to screens this month, Pennsylvania native Rutter has admitted that he's recognized a lot more in public than during his stint on Jeopardy! several years ago.

"I used to get Jeopardy! guy from time to time, and now I get like, 'Oh, hey, Brad, love you on Jeopardy! And I love The Chase.' Which is really great to hear.

"You look at the ratings and you know people are watching, but it's nice to get that feedback in real life."

Engineering manager Schneider, who is the first transgender woman to qualify for the Tournament of Champions, is now in fourth place for overall winners on the show.

Should she win all of the games this week, she will edge into third place, ahead of Holzhauer. Schneider previously revealed that it was her goal to surpass "confident" Holzhauer's record.