‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Mattea Roach Says Ken Jennings Should Be Permanent Host
Mattea Roach, the reigning Jeopardy! champion, is backing Ken Jennings to be the long-running game show’s new permanent host.
Jennings has been sharing hosting duties with Call Me Kat star Mayim Bialik ever since public backlash saw Mike Richards dropped from the position. The legendary quiz show is expected to eventually name a permanent host, and Roach is firmly on the Jennings bandwagon.
“I would say Ken because of his history with the show,” the 23-year-old tutor told Vulture when asked who she thinks should host the show. “As a contestant, there’s something really special about being on stage with the greatest player of all time. Someone who understands in a very visceral way what it’s like to be in your position. Mayim is fantastic, but she doesn’t have that same experience.”
Roach’s comments echo that of former Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider, who previously told CNN, “You could see the work that [Jennings] put into it, and I just thought he did a really great job, so as far as I’m concerned, that’s my endorsement.”
The Nova Scotia native was on a 23-game winning streak as of May 5 and has amassed quite a following due to her unique facial expressions and thinking aloud comments during the show. However, some fans have speculated that Roach’s behavior on the show is done intentionally to distract her fellow contestants.
“The notion of my comments being distracting either to the viewers or the players, I was like, ‘Huh?’ You don’t have time to think about weird mind games,” she told Vulture. “I would never want to be deliberately distracting to another player because it’s so unsportsmanlike. I like to think it didn’t have that impact.”
Roach said her relaxed playstyle is because she wants her time on the show to be fun. “I remember saying to a friend, ‘I’m not going to court. I’m not going to a job interview. I’m going to a game show,'” she said. “Yes, it’s intellectual and that’s one of the most special things about it. But I respected the institution by playing the game really well. I’m enjoying myself a lot, and that’s why I played the game that way.”
After securing her 23rd win on Thursday, Roach has now accumulated $560,983 in winnings.
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Matt Amodio also said that his greatest regret was not being able to play the game with Alex Trebek or Ken Jennings. And that's coming from a guy who played three weeks of shows hosted by Mayim (and the lone week with 'permanent host' Mike Richards).
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It must say something when all these superchampions are publicly coming up to bat for Ken. Doubly so with Mattea since she's played with both Ken and Mayim. I, too, prefer Ken and by all accounts, so do most viewers.
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I actually think Mattea was with Ken the whole time...
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Mattea likes Ken because she’s a fan of Jeopardy. Anyone who’s watched the show for any extended period of time knows that he’s the superior option and doing Alex’s legacy proud. Mayim never even watched the show before she hosted, and it has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. It shows in her work.
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Two of this season’s biggest ratings draws have publicly supported Ken. If the producers are still pushing for Mayim it’s obvious they’re not paying attention.
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I partially disagree with Mattea. I agree that Ken is better. However Mayim is not “fantastic,” she’s god awful.
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I agree with Mattea. Ken is the best of the current options and the optimal successor to Alex Trebeck.
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Mattea is just as correct here as she usually is on the show.
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I'm crossing my fingers that someone beats Mattea soon, and that they send Mayim Bialk packing never to return. I do look forward to the Tournament of Champions to see how Matt, Amy and Mattea do.
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She's right. My first choice would have been Buzzy Cohen, but Ken is an excellent choice, He totally eclipses the repugnant Mayim Bialik in charm, grace and efficiency. Off point, I'm ready for Ms. Roach to go, she's beginning to act as though it's The Mattea Show. It's time for the show runners to bring in a contestant who scored off the charts in their tryout to replace her. I realize she's part of the plan for a string of long term champs to get past the Richards replacement turmoil.
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I agree. I doubt the average viewer considers how easy it is to manipulate a long term winning streak. Choose a contestant who scored very high on the test, pit them against a rotation of low scorers and put up categories that play to the winner's strengths. Has anyone noticed that during Mattea's run they've shied away from sports and scientific categories? Normally, in a span of 20 shows they would put up categories on the periodic table, American sports statistics/athletes, and 19th century POTUS. I'm ready for her to go until the TOC.
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And it seems to us that there are quite a few Canada-based questions in the game lately.
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Same. I think Mattea is changing the game by all her chattering & noise-making (after she gets a clue wrong, which is unfair to the other players). Maybe the ratings are good with her, but I am almost ready to stop watching with her as champion after being a fan for decades. The only thing that keeps me tuning in is the possibility that someone might beat her!
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I totally agree.
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Seriously??? It's a game show. Why all the hatred for a young lady that is so good at competing on the show?
And how in God's name can anyone call Mayim Bialik repugnant?
There are much bigger things in this world to be concerned about.
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I agree that unfounded personal hatred of anybody is wrong. But Mattea is right that Mayim is not good as Ken.
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Google Ms. Bialik's views on Harvey Weinstein's victims, the subway incident and her son's "art piece". She is bizarre.
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OMG! I researched the art piece, I can't believe she did that. Sickening.
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Ken Jennings has earned the position! Bialik wants the job sooo badly it’s disgusting
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I couldn't believe the other female contestant (whose name I forget), was beating Mattea the whole game and couldn't get Final. She said she had never seen Citizen Kane, but I had never seen it either and got the answer correct. Definitely rooting against Mattea and her "floppy hands".
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Today's episode is indicative of the behind the scenes puppeteers capability as I've stared below.
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Could it be more obvious that the show runners geared Friday's episode toward the challenger? She's from Georgia and the final Jep was about Atlanta's airport which Canadian Mattea was unlikely to know.
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It is my belief that although Ken is a very intelligent nice man his voice does not reverberate well. Too soft. Mayim understands and represents verbalizations and facial expressions that are the most important part of this job. Extremely bright and when she is hosting the audience does not feel like they are at some boring meeting
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She's a nightmare, and singularly unlikable.
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Can't stand her in any capacity. Not only is she unwatchable, her off screen history is inexcusable. Google is your friend.
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Totally agree. Mayim will be better. Some folks think Ken will be best because and most credible from having been the champion. Please refresh my memory: how many Jeopardy games did Alex Trebek win?.
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