Katie Nolan freaks out in new ‘Celebrity Jeopardy!’ sneak peek as All-Stars premiere nears
katie nolan is at the center of a new sneak peek tied to the upcoming premiere of Celebrity Jeopardy!: All-Stars, after sharing how she unexpectedly met two of her favorite Jeopardy! contestants earlier the same day. The moment unfolded as the show’s host, Ken Jennings, set up her story about being pulled out for a vague “social” shoot and then getting surprised on camera. The new clip spotlights why Jennings says her fandom “shows up in her gameplay, ” with the season premiere set for Friday, March 13 (ET).
What happened in the All-Stars sneak peek
In the clip, Ken Jennings tells katie nolan that she “actually got to meet some of your favorite Jeopardy! personalities earlier today, ” prompting a visible reaction as she widened her eyes and put her hands to her head. Nolan then recounts being asked to step out of her trailer to film “some social stuff, ” saying the plan wasn’t clearly explained to her.
That’s when, she said, Sam Buttrey “came walking out” and surprised her. Nolan added that the moment escalated when they called Andrew He on the phone, letting her speak with both men. “They really are friends in real life, ” Nolan said while describing the interaction.
Katie Nolan describes meeting Sam Buttrey and Andrew He
Nolan told Jennings that the experience felt like going from watching to suddenly being in the same orbit as people she genuinely follows. When Jennings asked if it felt like she was listening to their podcast and hanging out with them, Nolan answered, “Yes!”
She also described how she and her fiancée watch the show nightly and have favorites, saying Buttrey and He “certainly rank among those. ” Nolan called the overall experience “incredible, ” adding: “Being here is, truly, my favorite thing on Earth. ”
Jennings also pressed for practical advice: “Did you get any tips from Sam and/or Andrew He?” Nolan said they urged her to take deep breaths, and that He delivered a “locker room hype up speech. ” She characterized it as “all just sports cliches, ” adding, “It might help, but who knows?”
Immediate reactions from Ken Jennings and the contestants
Jennings leaned into Nolan’s sports background on the spot. “As a sports journalist, there’s nothing you want to hear more than locker room cliches, right?” he asked. Nolan responded, “I’ve heard them all, you know?”
The same social filming Nolan referenced was posted to Jeopardy! social pages on March 9 (ET). In that segment, Buttrey spoke with the contestants about how their past roles could help them and fielded other questions, closing by asking them to deliver their best “Bring it!”—a phrase he coined during his own time on the show. In the video, Nolan hugged Buttrey and told him, “It’s so nice to meet you. We love you so much!”
Quick context on the All-Stars premiere matchup
Nolan is set to appear on the season premiere of Celebrity Jeopardy!: All-Stars on Friday, March 13 (ET), facing Rachel Dratch and Mark Duplass. She previously competed in Season 2, finishing as the runner-up and raising $100, 000 for her chosen charity.
Separately, Buttrey became part of the game show’s social team after his games and later returned for the Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament, where he made it to the finals but lost to Long Nguyen.
What’s next as the premiere arrives
The immediate focus now turns to how katie nolan, Dratch, and Duplass perform when the season opens Friday, March 13 (ET). With Jennings highlighting Nolan’s deep fandom and Nolan describing pre-game nerves and advice like “take deep breaths, ” the next on-air episode will show whether that fan energy translates into a strong start in the All-Stars premiere.
