Kevin Belle, a former Jeopardy! contestant and resident of Silver Spring, is gearing up to make a comeback on the show as he competes in the upcoming Tournament of Champions next Thursday.
The showdown in the popular game show’s annual schedule is a highly anticipated event, with Belle facing off against Luigi de Guzman from Arlington, Va., and Juveria Zaheer from Whitby, Ontario.
This match will determine who secures a coveted spot in the semifinals, according to Washingtonian.
Belle, a graduate of the University of Maryland, currently holds the position of project manager at D.C.-based Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, where he oversees the construction of the Great American Rail-Trail, a trail intended for use by cyclists and pedestrians nationwide. Before this, Belle worked as a transportation planner for the City of Rockville from 2013 to 2016, according to MCM.
Had to give the editors some more work to do with that longer name #whiskeyginger #jeopardy pic.twitter.com/PCny0W5RYS
— Whiskey Ginger aka Kevin Belle (@whiskeygingdrag) February 24, 2024
During his successful $43,000-winning streak last spring, Belle shared that he also dazzles audiences as Whiskey Ginger in drag shows, in a nod to his favorite cocktail. “…I also host trivia online as Whisky Ginger on Zoom, I picked it up during the pandemic,” Belle said. “…and you’ve got a very talented makeup crew here Ken, and I was hoping maybe one day we could convince you to do it here as well.”
According to The Sun, Jennings laughed during the episode, collecting himself to respond that he had a name in mind: “I was trying to think of a good Jeopardy!-themed drag name. Maybe Della Double?”
“Miss-ed Information might be nice too,” Belle replied.
Washingtonian reports that Luigi De Guzman, a regulatory attorney at Paul Hastings and former intern for Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA), is an alum of Catholic University’s law school, having studied at Cambridge University and the London School of Economics. De Guzman secured an impressive $140,700 by clinching five Jeopardy! wins in 2022.
Photo: @whiskeygingdrag / X (formerly Twitter)