Amy Schneider breaks another 'Jeopardy!' record, and the champion she beat had a sweet response
Even with Alex Trebek gone, one of the things about Jeopardy! that hasn't changed is the camaraderie among contestants.
The latest example happened Dec. 24 when current champion Amy Schneider broke yet another record, and the woman she'd beaten congratulated her. Schneider burst through the previous winnings high from a female contestant — Larissa Kelly's $655,930 earned in regular play — with a cool $706,800.
This is the kind way that Kelly, who last played in the show's All Star games in 2019, reacted:
"Well, it was fun to hold a Jeopardy record for a few years...but it's been even more fun to watch @Jeopardamy set new standards for excellence, on the show and off. Congratulations to Amy on becoming the woman with the highest overall earnings in the show's history!"
Well, it was fun to hold a Jeopardy record for a few years...but it's been even more fun to watch @Jeopardamy set new standards for excellence, on the show and off. Congratulations to Amy on becoming the woman with the highest overall earnings in the show's history! ????
— Larissa Kelly (@Larissa_K_Kelly) December 24, 2021
Schneider responded by saying, "Thanks so much, I'm honored to be in your company, and I look forward to some day watching the woman who beats us both!"
Thanks so much, I’m honored to be in your company, and I look forward to some day watching the woman who beats us both!
— Amy Schneider (@Jeopardamy) December 24, 2021
The lovefest continued from there.
"I hope there will be a long line of such women," Kelly answered, "but you are certainly setting the bar extremely high for them! (And holy hell, that's *before* any tournaments...can't wait to see the fireworks to come!)"
I hope there will be a long line of such women, but you are certainly setting the bar extremely high for them! (And holy hell, that's *before* any tournaments...can't wait to see the fireworks to come!)
— Larissa Kelly (@Larissa_K_Kelly) December 24, 2021
Since she debuted on the show Nov. 17, Schneider has won 18 straight games (as of Dec. 27, no spoilers!), shattering records all the way. Early on in her run, she won the five games needed to make her the first openly transgender contestant to qualify for the annual Tournament of Champions. By Dec. 28, Entertainment Weekly reported that she had racked up a total of $745,200 on the quiz show, the fourth highest winnings ever, behind famed players Matt Amodio, James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings. And there are more!
The engineering manager, based in Oakland, Calif., told Yahoo Entertainment in an interview published last week that just being on Jeopardy! is something she's aspired to since she was 5. (She's 42 now.)
"I've always watched it and I've also always been interested in learning facts and stuff," she said, explaining that her parents were fans. "And as I mentioned on the show, in eighth grade I was voted Most Likely to Be on Jeopardy! One Day. It was always sort of in my mind that it might be something I did at some point."
