Canada’s Mattea Roach wins ‘Jeopardy!’ thriller on final question, keeps streak alive at 23
Posted May 5, 2022 8:23 pm.
Last Updated May 6, 2022 9:34 am.
Canadian Mattea Roach was able to hang on in what turned out to be a nail-biting Final Jeopardy! for her 23rd-straight victory on the game show.
The Nova Scotian entered the final round with $13,000, while her opponent, Sarah Snyder, was in a comfortable lead at $22,600. The Final Jeopardy! question was, “A black & white newsreel in this film begins ‘In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure-dome decree.'”
Host Ken Jennings went to Roach first, and she answered correctly with Citizen Kane (1941), wagering $12,999, which brought her to $25,999 and just ahead of Snyder.
Unfortunately for her, Snyder did not provide an answer, later quipping that she had never seen Citizen Kane. Snyder wagered $5,000, dropping her down to $17,600. Had she answered correctly, Roach’s streak would have ended.
In an interview with Vulture, Roach discussed her unique mannerisms and approach to answering questions — something that has divided some, not all, Jeopardy! fans.
“My experience taping the show is some of the most fun I’ve had in my entire life. I know it’s not how everybody feels. A lot of people tape Jeopardy! and they’re super-stressed out,” Roach said.
RELATED: Who is Mattea Roach? Toronto resident becomes “Jeopardy!” champion
“It’s a high-pressure environment. You can stand to win a lot of money. I found the waiting was by far the worst part of being in the studio. But when I was actually on stage, I was having the time of my life. I didn’t play differently as my run went along. I was already making side comments and being animated in my first game. These shows tape five a day. You’re going to continue behaving in the same way with each game.”
Roach is in fifth for the longest streak on Jeopardy! This year, Amy Schneider of Dayton, Ohio, had a 40-game winning streak from November 2021 to January 2022 — the second-longest win streak in the show’s history, behind only Jennings (74 games).
The Toronto-based tutor enters Friday’s game going for her 24th-straight victory. She has a total of $560,983 US to date.
