'Jeopardy!': Matt Amodio Speaks out After His Victory Streak Ends

By Anna Rumer

Jeopardy! contestant Matt Amodio's 38-game winning streak came to an end Monday as the Yale University Ph.D. student concluded his run with a third-place finish. Over his impressive run, Amodio racked up 1,299 correct clues, won $1,518,601, and added his name to the hall of fame behind only Ken Jennings and his 74-game win streak in terms of most consecutive wins.

Amodio's third-place finish came during Monday's show against newcomers Jonathan Fisher, an actor from Florida, and Jessica Stephens, a statistical research assistant from Tennessee. Soon after his streak end was aired, Amodio took to Twitter to congratulate his fellow "brilliant" contestants and encourage his followers to "celebrate a match well played."

Amodio's win streak has come during a turbulent time for Jeopardy! as the game show continues to search for a permanent host to replace Alex Trebek following former executive producer Mike Richards' short-lived and controversial stint. Jennings and actress Mayim Bialik will host the show through the end of the year while Jeopardy! continues the hunt for a full-time host.

The controversy surrounding the hosting search might have been making headlines, but it didn't affect Amodio's game. The player told the Washington Post last month, "Frankly, the last thing I'm thinking about when I'm in the middle of a game is who's hosting," He continued, "I've had people say, 'Oh man, you've moved on to your fourth host, that has to be difficult.' And I would say, 'Well, you're right, but I didn't even realize that, necessarily.' 'Cause I'm trying to pull these really obscure facts out of my brain, and that takes all the mental energy I can afford at the moment."

All of the attention being diverted away from him was actually helpful for the self-described introvert as he prepared for each game. "I've never experienced even moderate amounts of attention, much less this much attention," he said. "I'm actually kind of surprised I've enjoyed it."

Bialik praised Amodio's wide range of knowledge and ability on the buzzer to Jeopardy!'s website. "He was unbelievable, and also really, really fun to watch," Bialik said. "I don't think that I've experienced in all the time that I've been here anything like that, with the pace and intensity that he was able to keep up." Jennings added that Amodio was "such a fantastic player" as the show confirmed he would be included as a contestant in the next Tournament of Champions. "The one thing I admire more than anything else on Jeopardy! is consistency. It's so hard to come out and win day after day and week after week," Jennings said.

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