It's been a dark time for Canadians on Jeopardy! since the death of Ontario-born host Alex Trebek in November 2020, but Canadian fans of the long-running quiz show finally have a new hometown hero to cheer for. Yesterday's (April 11) episode marked the fifth win for Mattea Roach, a 23-year-old tutor from Toronto, raising her cumulative winnings to $117,200 USD and clinching her eligibility for the show's next Tournament of Champions.
In an interview for the show's YouTube channel following her fifth win, the Nova Scotia-born Roach said, "To be a Canadian on Jeopardy! is always very special, because Alex Trebek's legacy is such a big part of the show. It's nice to get to represent when you're one of just a few people that comes down from Canada. I was especially proud to get to talk about being from Nova Scotia, that itself being a small province relative to the rest of Canada. I'm just glad that I'm putting on a good show for all the folks back up north."
Roach is the latest in the list of Canadian Jeopardy! champions, including 1990 Tournament of Champions winner Bob Blake of Vancouver, 1997 International Tournament winner Michael Daunt of Oakville and 2007 Tournament of Champions first runner-up Doug Hicton of Regina. We'll find out if Roach will join them on the podium when her Tournament of Champions airs — it's currently scheduled for this November, according to executive producer Michael Davies.
Canadians have been eligible to participate on Jeopardy! since the show's inception, save for a brief period of time in 2016, when the rules were temporarily changed due to issues with Canadian online privacy laws.
Roach joins a crowded field of Tournament of Champions contenders that includes two of the four players to amass $1 million in winnings in regular play: Matt Amodio, who won $1,518,601 over 38 games that aired last summer and fall, and Amy Schneider, who won $1,382,800 over 40 games this past winter (all figures in USD).
Roach competes for her sixth win in today's episode. Watch highlights from her first five games and clips from her interview in the video below.
In an interview for the show's YouTube channel following her fifth win, the Nova Scotia-born Roach said, "To be a Canadian on Jeopardy! is always very special, because Alex Trebek's legacy is such a big part of the show. It's nice to get to represent when you're one of just a few people that comes down from Canada. I was especially proud to get to talk about being from Nova Scotia, that itself being a small province relative to the rest of Canada. I'm just glad that I'm putting on a good show for all the folks back up north."
Roach is the latest in the list of Canadian Jeopardy! champions, including 1990 Tournament of Champions winner Bob Blake of Vancouver, 1997 International Tournament winner Michael Daunt of Oakville and 2007 Tournament of Champions first runner-up Doug Hicton of Regina. We'll find out if Roach will join them on the podium when her Tournament of Champions airs — it's currently scheduled for this November, according to executive producer Michael Davies.
Canadians have been eligible to participate on Jeopardy! since the show's inception, save for a brief period of time in 2016, when the rules were temporarily changed due to issues with Canadian online privacy laws.
Roach joins a crowded field of Tournament of Champions contenders that includes two of the four players to amass $1 million in winnings in regular play: Matt Amodio, who won $1,518,601 over 38 games that aired last summer and fall, and Amy Schneider, who won $1,382,800 over 40 games this past winter (all figures in USD).
Roach competes for her sixth win in today's episode. Watch highlights from her first five games and clips from her interview in the video below.
