'Jeopardy!' Champ Noticeably Missing From 'Jeopardy! Masters'

Six “Jeopardy!” winners will soon compete for the top spot on “Jeopardy! Masters,” a new competition coming soon.

Hosted by Ken Jennings, “Jeopardy! Masters” will see the return of some of the most popular champions in "Jeopardy!" history, including Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, Andrew He, Sam Buttrey, and James Holzhauer.

However, one champion is noticeably missing from the list -- Brad Rutter.

"Jeopardy!" announced the news on Facebook alongside a photo of the show's poster, which shows Ken Jennings, who will be hosting the competition, alongside Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, Andrew He, Sam Buttrey, and James Holzhauer. However, fans could not help but notice Brad Rutter is not included.

"Jeopardy Masters???? Where's Brad???" one fan asked in the comments section as another chimed in, "We all know James is winning this. Ken Jennings was the only one who could regularly beat him and he’s hosting now. Also, where’s Brad?"

Another wrote, "What about Brad? So bummed Ken can no longer compete." While one fan commented, "no brad rutter? not enough of an appearance fee?"

Meanwhile, another person wrote, "I can't wait! Although I wish Brad Rutter was competing in this; it should be really exciting! I say either Amy or James will win."

At this time, it is unclear as to why Brad Rutter is not involved in this competition. "Jeopardy! Masters" begins on May 8 on ABC, and will stream on Hulu. The three-week competition will consist of ten one-hour episodes featuring two games per episode.

Fans of both "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune" can now look forward to many more years of the show as Deadline confirmed both game shows have been renewed for five years through the 2027-2028 season, which will take "Wheel of Fortune" through its 45th season and "Jeopardy!" through its 44th season.

Per their report:

The move means that Wheel of Fortune, which is now exec produced by Bellamie Blackstone, will be moving into its 41st season, with Jeopardy!, which is exec produced by Michael Davies, will be going into its 40th season.

Jeopardy! is co-hosted by Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik and is the most-watched show in syndication with around 9M viewers weekly, while Wheel of Fortune is hosted by Pat Sajak and Vanna White and is the second most-watched same-day entertainment show on TV after only 60 Minutes.

“Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! are the crown jewels of syndication, drawing larger audiences than almost every prime-time broadcast show,” Steve LoCascio, President of CBS Media Ventures said. “This new deal is a testament to the power of these shows and the power of broadcast television. Viewers and advertisers alike love these shows, and we are excited that this deal continues the legacy of these brands for years to come.”

Debra OConnell, president of Disney Networks also spoke out on the news, expressing, “We are thrilled to extend our long-running relationship with Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. These beloved shows are national treasures that we are proud to bring into the top local markets in the country along with ABC’s award-winning, market-leading news and entertainment programming.”

"Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" both air on ABC.