Brayden Smith death: Jeopardy! champion dies ‘unexpectedly’ at the age of 24
Death of quiz show winner follows death of Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek in November
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Brayden Smith, the five-time Jeopardy! champion, has died “unexpectedly” at the age of 24.
Smith was the final champion on the long-running US game show while it was still hosted by Alex Trebek, who died of pancreatic cancer in November.
In a statement posted to her Twitter, Smith’s mother Debbie wrote: “We are heartbroken to share that our dear Brayden Smith recently passed away unexpectedly. We are so grateful that Brayden was able to live out his dream on @jeopardy.”
In a further tweet, Debbie Smith thanked her son’s fans for celebrating his life.
“The outpouring of love for Brayden is overwhelming,” she wrote. “We can’t express how much your beautiful comments are comforting us during this painfully sad time. Thank you.”
Read more: Alex Trebek appears in first of final Jeopardy! episodes with posthumous message of hope
Smith, from Las Vegas, died 5 February. A cause of death has yet to be announced.
Smith became a viral sensation last year after winning $117,798 (£85,101) on Jeopardy!, with his last appearance on the series occurring during Trebek’s final week on air. The episodes were recorded a month before Trebek’s death, and finally broadcast in January.
According to a family obituary written by Smith’s family, he had been interning at Washington’s Cato Institute, and had plans to attend law school.
In January, Smith said that he was overjoyed about competing on Jeopardy!, saying in a video for the show: “I’m just glad that we were able to do it and I’m glad I was able to show what I was capable of.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments