French Student Explains How He Became Game-Show King

America has quiz-show legends such as Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer. Europe now has minted one of its own: A young Frenchman known only by his first name of Emilien. The 22-year-old history student racked up 647 consecutive appearances on the French TV quiz show Les Douze Coups de Midi (The 12 Strokes of Noon) over nearly two years before finally losing this summer. He also amassed nearly $3 million in winnings, including 23 cars, per the New York Times. The streak is a world record for quiz shows, reports the Guardian, which spoke to Emilien about his unexpected celebrity and his methods:

• Everyday quizzing: Emilien says he can "sit and quiz for 16 to 17 hours a day without doing anything else." He hones his knowledge with a Google Doc, now 180 pages long, filled with one-word memory prompts, and by attending quiz club meet-ups, where he competes and sets questions.
• The pandemic: Emilien says he developed a passion for learning facts as a child, but it shifted into overdrive during the pandemic. "I started watching and rewatching TV quiz-show reruns on a loop," he says. "I noticed that sometimes the same questions would come round again and I'd memorized the answer. I thought if I keep watching, then I'll have more answers and it was a kind of snowball effect. I really got into the addictive side of it at that point."
• Two keys: He sees the secrets of success on the show as careful listening and curiosity. "I realized that when you pay very careful attention to new things, even to new words that you've skipped when reading a book, it's like making new discoveries for the first time. Being curious is the starting point for everything in life."
• One trick: On one show, the question began, "On what sea," and Emilien immediately answered correctly, "the Sea of Tranquility," dumbfounding pretty much everyone. He explains that when questions about seas begin with "on" rather than "in," it's nearly always about a sea on the moon.

Read the full interview, in which Emilien says one result of his fame is that strangers stop him on the street to test his knowledge.