The streak is over.
Amy Schneider’s reign as “Jeopardy!” champion came to an end after 40 games when she lost on Wednesday's episode.
Chicago librarian Rhone Talsma did what 80 previous contestants had failed to do and knocked off Schneider, who earlier this week bumped Matt Amodio for second place on the list of most consecutive wins.
Talsma won the game with $29,600, while Schneider finished in second place with $19,600. Schneider led going into Final Jeopardy! with $27,600, ahead of Talsma’s $17,600.
The clue, in the category "Countries of the World," was, “The only nation in the world whose name in English ends in an h, it’s also one of the 10 most populous.” The correct answer is, “What is Bangladesh?” Talsma correctly answered the question, while Schneider did not give a response.
Schneider, an engineering manager from Oakland, California, may have lost, but she has most definitely left her mark on the show. Ken Jennings, who hosted Wednesday’s episode, is the only person who’s won more consecutive games (74). Schneider also won a total of $1,382,800, the fourth-highest for regular-season play, trailing Amodio ($1,518,601), James Holzhauer ($2,462,216) and Jennings ($2,520,700).
Fans haven’t seen the last of Schneider, either. She will compete again in the Tournament of Champions this fall.
“It’s really been an honor,” she said. “To know that I’m one of the most successful people at a game I’ve loved since I was a kid and to know that I’m a part of its history now, I just don’t know how to process it.”
“I’m still in shock,” Talsma said about his victory. “This is my favorite show … I was so excited to be here and I just wanted to do my best. I did not expect to be facing a 40-day champion, and I was excited to maybe see someone else slay the giant. I just really didn’t think it was going to be me, so I’m thrilled.”
Schneider, who became the first transgender person to qualify for the Tournament of Champions, also made history by setting the record for most wins by a woman and becoming the first woman on "Jeopardy!" to win more than $1 million.
Schneider, who was actually robbed earlier this month, also became the target of hate on social media, with people making transphobic comments that she addressed in a tweet on New Year's Eve.
“I’d like to thank all the people who have taken the time, during this busy holiday season, to reach out and explain to me that, actually, I’m a man,” she wrote. “Every single one of you is the first person ever to make that very clever point, which had never once before crossed my mind.”
Schneider's run also came to a halt on a Wednesday, which bucked a trend that snagged other so-called "super champions" whose streaks ended on a Monday. Jennings noted on an episode earlier this month that Holzhauer, Amodio and Julia Collins were among the well-known champions who lost on a Monday.
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