Jeopardy! producers break their silence on how champ Jake DeArruda ‘handled himself’ after his behavior angered fans

JEOPARDY! contestant Jake DeArruda's on-stage behavior caused quite too big a backlash for producers to ignore.

They have urged fans to have a "little more compassion" but admitted he may have "handled himself" differently with age.

Jake, who is a delivery dispatcher from Ludlow, Vermont, won $86,000 total but certainly did not win over all Jeopardy! fans when he competed last week.

He irritated hundreds of tough customers by making faces, poses, and talking over host Ken Jennings, 48.

When Jake would find a "Daily Double," he would often pump his fist against his chest or tickle his chin in a thinking pose.

The New Englander went for a pseudo basketball jump shot which he parlayed into a bow in his last on-stage intro - he then held up three fingers to signal his win count.

'HE DREW A LOT OF ATTENTION'

Longtime producer Sarah Foss cleared the board with alum Buzzy Cohen on the show's recap podcast Inside Jeopardy! following Jake's defeat.

They said he was inspired by 13-time winner Matt Jackson - but hinted that Jake's slight lack of composure, to them, stemmed from being young.

Sarah noted: "A lot of people had a lot to say about him. He drew a lot of attention.

"Let’s just talk about Jake. He’s only 23 years old. Ken joked in a post-game chat he has tee shirts older than Jake."

She asked her podcast guest: "Buzzy, how would you have handled yourself differently, had you been put on all those years ago [at age 23]?"

Buzzy replied: "I cannot imagine having the wherewithal - I do not think I would have comported myself very well on the stage."

I’ve heard from a lot of people this past week who want to talk to me about Jake, positive, negative, somewhere in between."

"And I think that when you are a smart person and you're young, I’m not one to judge how you wanna be on the stage."

Sarah Foss said Jake meant well: "Friends said what a genuine, kind guy he is. He certainly was that way to us in the studio.

"I know everyone wants to share your comments but it's important to remember these are just people who are coming on the show they love and doing it the best way they know how to do it.

"I'm encouraging everyone to show a little more compassion on the message boards.

"Again, you would not want to switch places with any of these people and be under the scrutiny they are under.

"I will say everyone is loving Patti [the contestant that beat him]," Sarah admitted.

They noted the poetic nature of Jake's defeat as Patti represented what people envision a traditional Jeopardy! player to be - a little older and wiser.

Sarah also joked that the excitable contestant's game plan changed as he went: "He [shared to producers that he] just wanted to end up not in the red [at first], then he wanted to win a game. Then he wanted to win 5 and make it to the Tournament of Champions" to which Buzzy laughed.

EAGER BEAVER

Jake was defeated by Patti Palmer, a purple-haired retired teacher.

His stint was deemed "unwatchable," others more kindly compared him to another 23-year-old winner, 23-time champ Mattea Roach.

But there was no questioning he wasn't for everyone, and other news outlets even dubbed him the "most annoying contestant ever."

Jake caused such a Twitter frenzy with his showmanship that some harsh viewers even celebrated his defeat.

One user posted to 100-plus likes: "Could an actual adult please tell Jake to stop acting like a little s**t?"

Another posted when Patti beat him: "Patti has the thanks of a grateful nation."

A third meanly wrote: "Thank the good lord for a new Jeopardy champion tonight! GO PATTI! I almost had to skip tonight, could not bear another night of severe secondhand embarrassment for Jake #byebyejake."

"What on earth was he doing??" wrote a fourth, sharing the clip of Jake doing his jump shot.

"NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES!!! #Jeopardy #byejake #sweetpatti" wrote a fifth upon his loss.

"Do you think the Jeopardy producers purposely pick out 'characters' to drive viewers nuts?" asked a sixth.

Current champ Matthew Marcus also tweeted, for what it's worth, that he met Jake and "he seemed very nice."