April 11, 2022 | Alumni
U of T alumna Mattea Roach racks up Jeopardy! wins: Toronto Star, CTV
(Photo by Tyler Golden/Jeopardy Productions, Inc)
Jeopardy! contestant Mattea Roach (BA 2020 TRIN) says she was nervous backstage, but you would never guess from her performance in front of the cameras, the Toronto Star reports.
Friday’s episode saw the University of Toronto alumna confirm a four-game winning streak that has helped her collect US$104,600 in winnings and left eligible to compete in the game show’s annual Tournament of Champions, according to CTV News.
Roach, who graduated in 2020 with bachelor of arts as a member of Trinity College, told the Star that she slipped into what felt like a “fugue state” once the game began. “It’s the closest thing that I think I’ve had to an out-of-body experience,” the 23-year-old from Halifax said.
During the episode that aired Friday, host Mayim Bialik asked Roach how it felt to be representing Canada on the show, which was taped in January, given that Canadians hadn’t been able to participate due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, CTV News reported. “It’s been amazing… Canadians are always very proud of our homegrown celebrities, so to come on Jeopardy! where Alex was such an iconic presence for so many years – it’s really, really special,” Roach said, referring to the show’s late host Alex Trebek, who was born in Sudbury, Ont.
Roach’s next appearance is tonight.