A manager of a research lab from Sydney, Australia...

Leslie Shannon

Fans of this five-time winner from 1992 may remember her as Leslie Miller. Now, the business manager of a cellular phone research lab in Sydney, Australia, Leslie creates "groovy things that people might be able to do with their mobile phones, like play games and create greeting cards." This may seem like an unusual career path for an art history major. It all began when the Wall Street Journal published a story about her success on Jeopardy! in which she mentioned that she was also unemployed. After that, job offers came pouring in from all across the U. S. Subsequent assignments took her around the world but she is now settled as an Australian citizen where she participated as a firebreather in the opening ceremonies for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Hi, I'm Leslie Shannon, five-time Jeopardy! winner from 1992. Watch me participate in Jeopardy!'s Million Dollar Masters tournament. But right now, you're watching me on jeopardy.com.

What is your present occupation?
I'm the manager of a research lab for mobile phones in Sydney, Australia.

What do you remember most from your previous appearances on Jeopardy!?
Well, the fear, actually! It's so hard to be up here! People ask if it's been--you know, they think that you just, uh, like, know all this stuff, but uhh--it's weeks and months of study to try to make it, and, uh, oh, God, it's hard!

Do you get recognized from your previous Jeopardy! appearances?
No, because I live in Australia. They don't have Jeopardy! in Australia, so it's actually been quite humbling. I was recognized while I was still in the States, but now that I've been to Australia, it's like "Oh yeah, oh yeah, now I'm a regular person, oh yeah. Okay, okay."

How has being on Jeopardy! changed your life?
Well, when I was on Jeopardy! back in 1992, I was unemployed, and I actually got 15 different job offers for being on Jeopardy!, which was just unthinkable, and I ended up taking, um, a job offer in an area that I would never have gone into, and now, it's taken me around the world, I've absolutely thrived in this new industry, and I love it. And Jeopardy! is what made it possible for me to go into this whole new area.

Any special strategy for the competition?
No! Just to not get too humiliated!

"A recent art history graduate when she became Jeopardy! champion in 1992, she's now manager of a research lab in Sydney, Australia..."

2014 Battle of the Decades invitee: $5,000.
2002 Million Dollar Masters tournament wildcard semifinalist: $25,000.
1993 Tournament of Champions wildcard semifinalist: $5,000.
Season 9 5-time champion: $64,300 + Jeopardy! '92 home game.

Leslie appeared on The Chase on 2022-06-14 along with Anurag Kashyap & Liz Murphy and they lost a $180,000 jackpot when caught by chaser James Holzhauer.