Londoner fulfills lifelong dream with appearance on Jeopardy!

A lifelong fan of Jeopardy!, Thomas Trovato from London, Ont., recently got the chance to step behind the podium himself.

Trovato, a software developer, appeared on the long-running quiz show on Monday, competing against returning champion Tristan Williams, who entered the episode on an eight-game winning streak.

"It was such a surreal experience walking out onto the set and seeing just this set that I've seen on TV my whole life, and then all of a sudden I'm just there in it, and it's all around me," Trovato told London Morning host Andrew Brown.

Trovato said contestants go through a full orientation before taping, including rehearsal games and buzzer practice, helping players settle in before filming begins.

"They were able to get me comfortable with it pretty quickly," he said. "By the time you actually record the episode, you're feeling pretty good in the space."

Still, he admitted it was intimidating knowing he would be facing a contestant already on a lengthy winning streak.

"I tried not to let it get to me, but I can't deny that it did," he said.

Although he didn't win, Trovato said he was thrilled to make it to Final Jeopardy and correctly answer the final clue, winning $1,217.

Trovato said his love of trivia and quiz shows goes back to childhood, when watching game shows with family was part of his daily routine.

"I love to tell people that watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! in the evenings as a kid was part of how I learned to read," he said.

Getting onto the show involved several rounds of online testing and virtual auditions before he was eventually selected from a contestant pool.

"One thing I was particularly happy about is that number one, I did manage to get enough money to be able to come back and play Final Jeopardy," he said, “and that number two, [getting] the Final Jeopardy, I thought was kind of a layup."