Recently five times Danger! winner Brayden Smith died last week at just 24 years old. Fans were shocked by the evolution and left the shouts for details about his death, which a CBS station in Las Vegas reports was caused by the complications of a surgery he underwent for an undisclosed condition in the days before his death.
The KLAS news station reported that the contestant nicknamed “Billy Buzzsaw” by Trebek spent time at a hospital in southern Nevada before his death, citing family sources. The seizure did not specify the nature of the disease or surgery. Smith’s mother, Debbie, announced her son’s death on Friday, thanking people for their support. “The outpouring of love for Brayden is overwhelming,” Debbie posted on Twitter. “We can’t express how much your beautiful comments comfort us in this painfully sad moment. Thank you.”
Las Vegas Review-Journal, who published Smith’s obituary, did not report a cause of death for the young man Danger! champion at the time of his death. The Nevada native was a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2020 with a degree in economics and intended to attend law school to become a federal government lawyer.
Brayden Smith is considered to be Trebek’s “Last Great Champion”. He won over $ 100,000 in his five appearances on the show. According to his obituary, Smith was looking forward to competing in the next Tournament of Champions. “The Champions Tournament has been my favorite tournament every year since I was a kid,” Smith said. “These people are kind of my trivia idols and knowing that I will be on the same metaphorical and literal stage that they were, is really something special.”
The show released a statement after Smith’s death, offering condolences to his family. ” DANGER! the family is saddened by the tragic loss of Brayden Smith. He was kind, funny and absolutely brilliant. Our deepest condolences are conveyed to Brayden’s family. He will miss it, “the statement said.
Prior to his death, Smith conducted an interview with Danger! correspondent Sarah Whitcomb Foss. He talked about his time on the show and called it a whirlwind. “I just wanted to stay there as long as possible. It’s really a great feeling to be on the set – to be around smart, nice, warm people,” Smith said.
Smith is survived by three siblings Scott and Deborah Smith, as well as maternal grandparents and paternal grandparents and aunts, uncles and cousins. Funeral arrangements are pending, but in the meantime, the family is asking for donations from Smith’s memory to be made to the Brayden Smith Memorial Fund, “dedicated to promoting the educational aspirations of students in southern Nevada.”