Canadian Mattea Roach hits new milestone with 20th 'Jeopardy!' win

Canadian "Jeopardy!" super-champ Mattea Roach earned the fifth-longest streak in the TV quiz show's history with her win on Monday night's episode.

The 23-year-old tutor from Toronto is tied for the spot with Julia Collins, whose 2014 run lasted 20 games.

It's the longest streak of any Canadian to appear on the show.

Roach has also brought in the sixth-biggest haul of any contestant in regular season play, earning US$476,985so far.

To move to Number 4 on the list, Roach would need to match James Holzhauer's 32-game streak.

Roach has said she's honoured to be a flag-bearer for Canada on what's now known as the Alex Trebek stage.

"That's always going to be a part of how I'm remembered -- as this representative of Canada and the best Canadian to go on," she said in an interview with The Canadian Press ahead of her 13th game. "I hope someone someday is even more winning than I am."

It's been a hallmark season for "Jeopardy!" streaks, starting with Matt Amodio.

After amassing 18 wins in Season 37, he continued his run at the beginning of Season 38. His streak stretched for another 20 wins, putting him -- at the time -- in the Number 2 spot.

He would be unseated just months later by Amy Schneider, who won 40 games.

She's second only to now-host Ken Jennings, who won 74 straight games in 2004 and raked in US$2,520,700, not counting his winnings during tournaments.

The show's regular-season record books don't stretch back much farther than that. While "Jeopardy!" first aired in 1964, there was a five-game win limit in place until 2003.

But Brad Rutter, who won all five allowable games in 2000, has returned for tournaments in the intervening years and now has the all-time biggest haul -- US$4,938,436.

Tournaments included, Jennings has won US$4,370,700.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2022.