'Jeopardy!' champion Mattea Roach wins 20th game Monday, ties for fifth

Nova Scotia's "Jeopardy!" champion Mattea Roach won her 20th game Monday night.

The 23-year-old tutor is now tied for fifth place with Julia Collins for the most consecutive games won on the show.

Roach took an additional $16,801 Monday, upping her total earnings to US$476,985.

She faced off against Adam Ilgin, a ferryboat deckhand from Lewis, D.E., and Becky Benninghoff, a church organist from Woodbridge, V.A.

According to the "Jeopardy!" daily box score, Roach attempted to buzz in 28 times and was successful 17 times, for a success rate of 61 per cent.

She had 19 correct responses, for a correct rate of 95 per cent in regular play.

Throughout Roach's 20 appearances on the show, she has answered 93 per cent of questions correctly.

Roach is headed for her 21st win Tuesday night, and in an interview with CTV News, her debate coach says she thinks Roach has the potential to beat "Jeopardy!" champion Ken Jennings' record, which sits at 74 consecutive wins and US$2,520,700.

"That's a big vote of confidence, because if you look at Ken's game he was also winning a lot more than I've been," Roach said.

Roach, who is originally from Halifax but now lives in Toronto, first applied to be on the long-running game show in 2020. This January, she was invited to Los Angeles to tape an episode.

Roach will attempt her 21st win Tuesday night.