Leann Craumer, a librarian from Catonsville, will appear Monday on “Jeopardy.”
“It was an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience, but I would do it again in a heartbeat if I was given the opportunity,” Craumer, 34, said in an interview Friday. “I am so excited to be a tiny part of the legacy of this show that I have been watching for most of my life, and that so many people enjoy in their own living rooms every night.”
Since 2016, Craumer had been taking online tests but only passed through to the next round for the first time last year. In July 2022, she had a Zoom audition.
“I had a 18-month waiting period to see if I would be selected and I got the call to appear in April,” said Craumer. “I was very lucky to be called during my first time in the applicants pool.”
The experience was “nerve-wracking, terrifying and wonderful,” according to Craumer, who works in the Anne Arundel County Public Library system.
“Everyone involved with the production of the show is incredibly kind and patient. Even though they work with 12 new contestants just like me every single day, they never rushed us and answered all of our questions thoroughly,” said Craumer. “I was super grateful to have some friends and family join me in the audience, so I felt very supported throughout the taping. It all went by so quickly that it felt surreal. I didn’t even think about the millions of viewers at home while it was happening.”
While she can’t reveal how she did on the game show before it airs, she did say that her librarian skills came in handy.
“My research skills at pulling information from a variety of sources helped me put together my study guides,” Craumer said. “I used children’s reference books from the library to study – I picked this tip up from James Holzhauer [the second-highest ‘Jeopardy’ winner] – because they cover a wide range of topics at a shallow level.”
You can tune in to see how Craumer fared at 7 p.m. on WBFF-TV.