Five times recently Danger! winner Brayden Smith died last week at the age of 24. Fans were shocked by the development and left screaming for details of his death, which, according to a Las Vegas CBS station, was caused by complications from surgery he underwent for an undisclosed condition in the days leading up to his death.
The KLAS news station reported that the contestant named “Billy Buzzsaw” by Trebek spent time in a hospital in Southern Nevada before his death, citing family sources. The point of sale did not specify the nature of the disease or surgery. Smith’s mother Debbie announced her son’s death on Friday and thanked people for the support. “The outpouring of love for Brayden is overwhelming”, Debbie tweeted“We cannot express how much your beautiful comments comfort us at this painfully sad time. Thanks.’
The Las Vegas Review Journal, which published Smith’s obituary, stated no cause of death for the youngsters Danger! champion at the time of his death. The Nevada resident had graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2020 with a degree in economics and planned to study law to become a federal government attorney.
Brayden Smith is considered Trebek’s “Last Great Champion.” He has won over $ 100,000 in his five appearances on the show. According to his obituary, Smith was looking forward to participating in the next Tournament of Champions. “Tournament of Champions has been my favorite tournament every year since I was a kid,” said Smith. “These people are kind of my trivia idols and it’s really something special to know that I’m on the same metaphorical and literal stage they were on.”
The show released a statement after Smith’s death, expressing condolences to his family. “The DANGER! family is heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brayden Smith. He was nice, funny, and absolutely brilliant. Our deepest condolences go out to the van Brayden family. He will be missed, ‘the statement said.
Prior to his death, Smith had 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 a really great feeling to be on set – to be around smart, nice, warm people,” said Smith.
Smith is survived by three brothers and parents Scott and Deborah Smith, as well as his maternal grandparents and paternal grandmother and aunts, uncles and cousins. Funeral arrangements are pending, but in the meantime, the family is asking for donations in Smith’s memory to the Brayden Smith Memorial Fund, “dedicated to furthering the educational aspirations of southern Nevada students.”