Drew Basile, the first “Survivor” contestant to compete on “Jeopardy!,” made waves in his seven-day winning streak.
Basile, 23, amassed $129,601 in winnings before he was defeated on June 28.
He discussed his experience on the show on the July 3 episode of “Rob Has a Podcast.”
The reality star is known for his controversial reactions onstage, as he would often speak between clues and cheer, which irritated many “Jeopardy!” viewers.
Basile revealed that after his third win, which came off a rare tiebreaker clue, his reaction was so large that the producers needed to redo the shot.
“Obviously, I had a big reaction at the end of the tiebreak because, you know, it’s like a Western standoff,” he said. “I had such a big reaction that I think we had to rerecord it.”
“I was like, ‘Let’s go!’” he shared, as he pumped his fists and yelled in celebration.
Basile and his opponent Josh Heit finished with $20,000 after Final Jeopardy, giving them a bonus clue. Basile buzzed in before Heit with the correct answer and won.
However, his energy prompted producers to request a retake to maintain the show’s decorum.
“Well, ‘Jeopardy!’ is so classy. I had a huge reaction,” Basile noted.
In the second take, he had a more composed reaction, which is what was aired on television.
The hate from his manners on “Jeopardy!” didn’t affect the experienced reality show star, however. After all, he was used to it from his experience on “Survivor.”
“It was kind of a little bit muted compared to some of the hate you get from ‘Survivor,’” he said.
Basile additionally claimed the negative comments about him were “incoherent.”
“The negative people… they’re retired, they’re a little bit older, you know? They’re still grappling with technology, they haven’t figured out spellcheck, for example… It’s hard to be that outraged when it’s a completely incoherent message,” he said.
Despite his spirited demeanor, Basile did acknowledge that he was a “polarizing figure” among viewers of the game show. He said the other contestants had “so much poise” and were “dressed up to encourage those best qualities of politeness and rectitude.”
“I had no issue with either of those things, I love showboating,” Basile said.
“I think [because I have] a little bit more personality than your average winning contestant, [it] could have been a little unnerving for [some] viewers,” he added. “Everyone loves to root against the winner… you don’t want the winner to be some kind person who you would invite into your home, that’s boring. I’ll gladly take being the heel… I’ll lean into it.”
Basile explained that he started playing more casually once he hit his fifth win, which also qualified him for the next Tournament of Champions.
“You’re really playing with house money after that… which probably hurt me,” he admitted.
The graduate student finished with the second-longest streak of the season, behind only 15-day winner Adriana Harmeyer, whom he defeated last month.
The other qualifiers for the next Tournament of Champions are Harmeyer, five-day winners Alison Betts and Dr. Amy Hummel, and “Celebrity Jeopardy!” contestant Lisa Ann Walter.
With four wins, contestants Grant DeYoung and Amar Kakirde are likely to compete as well.
“Jeopardy!” airs at 7 p.m. ET on ABC.
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