LOS ANGELES (AP) – Reigning “Jeopardy!” champion Mattea Roach represents a new generation of the game show’s all-star players.
As of Friday, the 23-year-old Canadian has won 19 games and amassed $469,184 in prize money. This puts her in the top 10 contestants for both back-to-back wins and regular-season wins in Jeopardy!. Story.
Roach, who begins her fifth week of competition Monday, will be joined by veteran standouts including Ken Jennings, who is currently hosting the show, and this season’s champions Amy Schneider and Matt Amodio.
“I’m not quite aware that I’m now one of the best players of all time. It doesn’t really feel real,” said Roach, the first Gen Zer, who was dubbed a “super champion” by the show for posting a double-digit win streak. Generation Z generally refers to those born between 1997 and 2012.
Tutoring aspiring law students and maybe one herself, she plays with airy confidence. Roach is relaxed enough to casually think aloud about her approach, as she did last Wednesday when she hit a crucial double jeopardy.
“You know what, if I bet a lot and lose today, I’ve had such a good run,” mused Roach, then successfully wagered a whopping $8,000 and ultimately won the game against formidable challenger Ben Hsia of Fremont, California.
The category was anatomy, the clue was “To gently annoy another person,” and Roach’s slightly annoyed response, “I should have bet more. What is ‘rib’?”
In addition to conservative bets, their game is characterized by the wide range of knowledge and buzzer command that “Jeopardy!” champions have. Athletic ability doesn’t contribute to the latter, said Roach, who admits sport isn’t a preferred category.
Her trademarks include a winning smile and a demure wave at the camera at the start of a match; Tattoos, including lyrics from Talking Heads songs, and clothing that’s on the serious side but with a touch of personal flair. However, for a recent interview, she paired a t-shirt with jeans.
“There’s no denim on ‘Jeopardy!'” Roach said helpfully. As for her on-camera wardrobe, it’s all the clothes she already owned — “I hate shopping,” she said — and thought they would send the right message.
“I wanted to feel comfortable, I wanted to look professional and I wanted to express my personality, and I think I succeeded in that,” she said.
Roach is from Halifax, Nova Scotia and lives in Toronto. Roach owes her love of learning to her mother, Patti MacKinnon, a chartered accountant, and her father, Phil Roach, who works in human resources. Mattea Roach began reading at age 3, skipped a grade in elementary school, and enrolled at the University of Toronto at 16.
After mom and dad helped pay for the first two years of college, Roach made his way through the rest.
“I have three younger siblings at home, and even if they (their parents) both work, there isn’t much money left,” she said. “I thought I could work, so why shouldn’t I be?”
She studied Sexual Diversity Studies with minors in Political Science and Women’s and Gender Studies. The school’s debating program helped her gain composure and grapple with unfamiliar topics, which was probably helpful training for Jeopardy! – and maybe politics.
As a youth, Roach said, she had a vague interest in “how government works,” and while she remained interested in it, she realized it wouldn’t be a good fit. Despite the flood of media and online attention that “Jeopardy!” “I’m actually a very private person and prefer a relatively regular job,” she said.
She was applying to law school when “Jeopardy!” prompted her to be a candidate. Her success and that of Amodio (38 wins, $1.52 million) and Schneider (40 wins, $1.38 million) made the show’s 2021-22 season a memorable one.
Roach mentioned on the air that she might pay off her student loans after her first win. What does she intend to do when the sum has grown?
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“I am so boring. I don’t want to waste anything,” she said.
Roach intends to invest the windfall in her future, although some of it will go towards fulfilling travel plans derailed by the pandemic. Another possible indulgence occurred to her.
“Hopefully I won’t be afraid to buy concert tickets anymore,” she said.