Mattea Roach’s Historic 23-Game ‘Jeopardy!’ Streak Came To An End After She Lost By A Measly Dollar

After an awkward time last summer, Jeopardy! has been on a roll. In the last year, the brainiac game show has seen three rock star contestants: Matt Amodio, Amy Schneider, and, most recently, Mattea Roach. But all good things must come to an end, and on the episode that aired Friday, so it did for the latter.

For weeks, Roach, a 23-year-old tutor from Canada, has ruled the roost, amassing not only a large number of wins but a bounty of cash — more than enough to pay off her student debt. But her streak ended on her 24th show. Heading into Final Jeopardy!, she was up by $19,200. But she got the last question, about a facility named for Coca-Cola “magnate” Asa Candler, wrong. Challenged Danielle Maurer, a digital marketing manager from Georgia, did not.

Still, it was close. Roach wagered $3,601, bringing her final total to $15,599. Maurer, who had $11,400, bet $4,200, meaning she had $15,600. In other words, Roach lost by one dollar.

Still, 23 games is one of the show’s best, fifth behind James Holzhauer (32), Amodio (38), Schneider (40), and the episode’s host, Ken Jennings (74). She’ll be seen later this year when she competes in the Tournament of Champions against Amodio and Schneider.

Roach was gracious in her defeat. “Feeling proud and reflective tonight,” she tweeted, adding, “thank you again so much to all who have supported me during my run. It’s almost exactly four months to the day I got the call to go on Jeopardy, and I had no idea back then how much my life would change as a result.” She also thanked Maurer, who unseated her.