CHICAGO (WLS) — Liam Starnes of Barrington has been enjoying a winning streak on “Jeopardy!”
If you don’t want to know how he did on Friday, look away and turn down the volume.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
Starnes managed to beat out his competition.
“It’s been a dream ever since I was much younger than I am now,” Starnes said.
Starnes has realized his dream. By participating in “Jeopardy!” and securing a sixth victory this week, the University of Chicago student has achieved success.
Starnes cannot say if he has won any more rounds or added to his $123,000 in prize winnings.
“I never imagined I would get the chance to appear on the show, but one day, I received the call. It was an incredible experience to be on the stage and have the opportunity to meet Ken Jennings,” Starnes shared.
The college senior studying biostatistics returned to school with a chance to participate in the TV quiz show’s tournament of champions.
Despite the opportunity to compete for a prize of $250,000, Starnes expresses that being a part of the program has always been a lifelong aspiration since his elementary school days.
“When I was in middle school, I started playing scholastic bowl in sixth grade, and it’s something I knew I loved,” Starnes said.
Since then, Starnes has participated in scholastic bowls at Barrington High School in Chicago’s suburbs and at U of C.
His most cherished accomplishment is being team captain of a winning team during his senior year in high school, when they clinched the national championship.
He says it was those competitions that prepared him for “Jeopardy!”
Starnes says he auditioned, taking a teen test, then a college test, then a regular test to get on “Jeopardy!” before finally getting the call in 2023 to be on the show.
He got a text message, but really didn’t think much of it, at first.
“Producers told me, ‘How would you like to fly out to Los Angeles?’ And that was a great feeling,” Starnes said.
His strongest subject is sports. Pop culture, not so much.
He prepared the old-fashioned way, by studying old questions and watching the show.
And while the thrill of the experience is still fresh, Starnes says after he graduates in June, he would like to work as a researcher and use some of his winning to travel. He hopes his journey to “Jeopardy!” can be an inspiration.
“Keep trying to learn new things. You’ll never know what you’ll find,” Starnes said.
Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
