Buzzy Cohen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Austin David Cohen (1985-03-05)March 5, 1985 (age 40) Short Hills, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Education | Columbia University (BA) |
| Alma mater | Pingry School |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2016-present |
| Known for | Jeopardy! 2017 Tournament of Champions winner "The Stunner" onThe Chase |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Austin David "Buzzy"Cohen (born March 5, 1985) is a recording music industry executive and trivia enthusiast fromLos Angeles,California. He is best known for his association with thegame showJeopardy! since 2016. Cohen was the winner of the 2017 Tournament of Champions and later appeared in the All-Star Games in 2019 and as a guest host for the show's 2021 Tournament of Champions following longtime hostAlex Trebek's death. Since 2022, he has served a co-host for the show's podcast,Inside Jeopardy!
Cohen grew up inMillburn, New Jersey.[1] He graduated from thePingry School in 2003,[2][3] and graduated fromColumbia College ofColumbia University with a BA in music in 2007.[4][5][6]
Cohen won $164,603 over nine games in April and May 2016.[7] Many of his victories were guaranteed victories, which allowed Cohen to wager nothing and use his final response to make sarcastic remarks towardAlex Trebek, a humorous style that earned Cohen both praise and disdain fromJeopardy! fans.[8][9] He later returned for the 2017 Tournament of Champions, which he won, collecting the grand prize of $250,000.
Cohen appeared again in the 2019Jeopardy! All-Star Games relay tournament. His team went home with $75,000 after losing the wild card match.
Following Trebek's death, Cohen hosted the May 2021Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, being the youngestJeopardy! host at age 36.[10][11]
Since 2022, Cohen has appeared as a recurring guest and host on theInside Jeopardy! podcast hosted by currentJeopardy! showrunnersMichael Davies andSarah Whitcomb Foss.[12]
In September 2022, Cohen appeared as a Clue Giver in the category "Fashion with Buzzy Cohen" during theTriple Jeopardy! round on the first episodeCelebrity Jeopardy! onABC.[13]
On September 29, 2022, Cohen hosted the inauguralJeopardy! Honors event alongsideSarah Whitcomb Foss.[14]
From April to August 2023, Cohen hosted a podcast about the quiz show entitledThis is Jeopardy!: The Story of America's Favorite Quiz Show forSony Music Entertainment andSony Pictures Television.[15]
In January 2024, Cohen hosted three radio-only "play-in" games for that year's new Champions Wildcard tournament.[16]
In April and May 2020, Cohen appeared on the revival ofWho Wants to Be a Millionaire onABC as a lifeline for comedianHannibal Burress.[17][18]
Cohen joined the cast of the American version ofThe Chase in 2022, joining as a Chaser as a replacement for the departingKen Jennings.[19] His Chaser name is "The Stunner".[20] Fellow ChaserJames Holzhauer described Cohen's playing style and persona as "happy-go-lucky", compared to Holzhauer's own cutthroat, villain-like role.[21]
In May 2024, Cohen appeared as a contestant on the podcastGo Fact Yourself onKPCC (FM).[22] That same year, in June, he began hostingThe Einstein Challenge forThe History Channel.[23]
Cohen was also featured at the 2023 and 2024 editions of SporcleCon, the annual convention run by the trivia websiteSporcle. He hosted the main event of the convention, a massive team trivia competition called Battle of the Brains, in both years and also conducted his own 1990s trivia quiz called Baby Got Facts.[24]
In 2011, Cohen married Elisha Levin, a marketing and communications director.[25][26] They have two daughters.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-2021 | Jeopardy! | Himself | 35 episodes |
| 2020 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | The Chase | Himself | 2 episodes |
| Celebrity Jeopardy! | Clue Giver | 1 episode | |
| 2022-present | Inside Jeopardy! | Guest/Host | 51 episodes |
| 2023 | This is Jeopardy!: The Story of America's Favorite Quiz Show | Himself | 16 episodes |
| 2024 | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen | Bartender | 1 episode |
| Go Fact Yourself | Contestant | 1 episode | |
| The Einstein Challenge | Host |
Township native Austin 'Buzzy' Cohen says he applied to be on the hit quiz show,Jeopardy! on a whim.
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions winner 2017 | Succeeded by |
| Media offices | ||
| Preceded by | Guest host ofJeopardy! May 17 - May 28, 2021 | Succeeded by |
