Diana Peloquin Knocks Off Controversial ‘Jeopardy’ Champion Arthur Chu

Diana Peloquin has done what many Jeopardy fans have long waited for — unseated controversial champion Arthur Chu.

For weeks Chu had plowed through competition while showing little regard for the unwritten rules of the game. While contestants traditionally played categories start to finish, Chu had a strategy to pick off all of the high value answers first, going from category to category and keeping opponents off their guard.

For 12 days, Arthur Chu breezed through competition, amassing a total winnings of $297,200.

But then came Diana Peloquin. The University of Michigan law student defeated Chu on Wednesday, taking first place with $15,700.

Peloquin has been a Jeopardy fan for years, but said actually being on the show was an entirely different experience.

“It was really surreal,” she said. “I watched with other law students, and they were cheering and clapping when I got a question right.”

Diana Peloquin actually got a chance to see Arthur Chu in action and see his strategies firsthand. The show films several episodes in a single day, allowing her to witness the tail end of his winning streak from the CBS studio in Culver City, California.

“I was really interested in his playing style,” said Peloquin. “I wanted to engage with that. … And I had lots of time to study.”

Unlike many viewers, Peloquin said she had no problem with how Chu played the game.

“I was really surprised,” she said. “I actually really admired his playing style while watching his games, so I was surprised that there was such a backlash to it.”

Diana Peloquin seized the game in the Final Jeopardy round. The category was British Royalty, and the clue: “He was the last male monarch who had not previously been Prince of Wales.”

Peloquin answered, “Who was George VI?” the only contestant to get it right.

After knocking off Arthur Chu, Diana Peloquin will now try to start a winning streak of her on Thursday’s episode of Jeopardy.