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Liam Starnes: The New Face of Jeopardy! and a Young Sheldon Lookalike

Bazinga! Fans of Jeopardy! have drawn an amusing comparison between the show’s latest two-time champion, Liam Starnes, and the beloved character Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. Many viewers even suggest that Starnes could be perceived as Sheldon’s younger sibling. In his first two appearances, Starnes has amassed an impressive total of $52,802 and will return for his third game on April 22.

Starnes hails from Barrington, Illinois, and is currently an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, where he is pursuing studies in data science and statistics, as detailed on his LinkedIn profile. In addition to his academic pursuits, he serves as the vice president of the college bowl team and made the dean’s list in 2022.

During a recent episode aired on April 21, Starnes shared a nostalgic anecdote about hosting a Jeopardy!-themed birthday celebration in his childhood. He explained that not only were the decorations aligned with the show’s theme, but attendees also enjoyed a round of the game. Notably, host Ken Jennings mentioned that Starnes was born around the time Jennings first appeared on Jeopardy!, exactly 20 years ago. In an interesting twist, Starnes also shared that he possesses a photograph of himself taken on the International Space Station.

Starnes has also demonstrated his intellectual prowess by being a semi-finalist in both the 2017 and 2014 Illinois National Geographic State Spelling Bees.

Despite Starnes’ achievements and engaging personality, fans quickly focused on his striking resemblance to a younger Sheldon Cooper.

“I thought Liam bears a resemblance to Dr. Sheldon Cooper,” one Reddit user noted.

“I said the same thing,” echoed another.

“This is the comment I came here for,” added yet another fan.

“I never doubted teenage Sheldon for a minute! Congrats Liam #jeopardy,” commented an X user on social media.

Further tweeting, another user remarked, “Liam looks like a real-life Sheldon Cooper #jeopardy,” asserting the comparison.

“Liam looks like Sheldon Cooper’s little brother. #Jeopardy,” remarked another fan, although notably, the character only has an elder brother, George, which could make Starnes an ideal younger sibling.

“Big time Sheldon Cooper vibes from Liam #jeopardy,” tweeted another enthusiast.

“Liam reminds me of Sheldon Cooper in the most loving way,” stated a Reddit user on a different discussion thread.

In a fun twist, another participant chimed in about family resemblances, recalling that their dad noted the similarity, while they found that Maja, another contestant, reminded them of Mayim Bialik, who played Amy in the series. Bialik’s stint on Jeopardy! ended following a period as co-host alongside Jennings.

Sheldon Cooper, portrayed by Jim Parsons on The Big Bang Theory and Iain Armitage on Young Sheldon, became an iconic character known for his brilliance in theoretical physics and his distinctive personality traits.

Source
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