Haligonian or Torontonian? Canadian Jeopardy! champion reflects on her roots

Canadian Jeopardy! champion Mattea Roach has discovered herself on the centre of an possession dispute.

The 23-year-old Torontonian — or is that Haligonian? — tutor earned the eighth-longest streak within the TV recreation present’s regular-season historical past Friday with 14 consecutive wins, and her fellow Canadians are taking be aware.

“Individuals in Nova Scotia, after which additionally folks in Toronto — the 2 locations that I affiliate myself most carefully with — have been very keen to assert me as belonging extra to 1 than the opposite,” mentioned Roach, who spent the primary six years of her life and a few of her adolescence in RisePEI.

“They do not need to simply declare that you just’re from Canada when you’re from a selected metropolis or particular province. It is like, ‘No, she’s not simply from Canada. She’s from Nova Scotia, or she’s in Toronto.”‘

In actuality, she belongs to each. Nova Scotia is house, she mentioned after cracking the Prime 10 checklist this week, however she feels deeply connected to Toronto — the town she moved to for a college diploma in political science and sexual range research.

She has additionally hung out in Calgary and Moncton, N.B.

However she understands the “very Canadian” propensity for pleasure in “homegrown celebrities” and even commented on it on the quiz present whereas referring to the late longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek.

Roach realized she had achieved nationwide renown when she noticed an article about herself on the satirical web site, The Beaverton.

“That, much more than the real media curiosity, was like, ‘Oh, I’ve made it,”‘ she mentioned.

It is an fascinating time to be a Canadian on Jeopardy!, an American present with some simple northern ties. The present’s setting has been dubbed the Alex Trebek Stage in honour of its host from Sudbury, Ont.

Roach expressed some disappointment that her star activate the present comes after Trebek died of pancreatic most cancers in 2020.

“It’s considerably bittersweet and unhappy that [this streak] is going on after he handed, and that he’s not attending to rejoice what’s now by far the longest run by a Canadian contestant on the present,” Roach mentioned.

Execs, cons of being Canadian on Jeopardy!

The present additionally tends to sprinkle in some questions on Canada, and one of many head writers, Billy Wisse, grew up in Montreal.

That offers Roach an edge in some circumstances, however she mentioned the present’s Americanness can even journey her up typically.

Thursday night time’s present, as an example, featured a complete class concerning the state of California.

“I bear in mind talking to any individual on the Jeopardy! crew about that. And he or she was like, ‘Yeah, I used to be actually confused about why you were not ringing in or getting in on any of these clues. However then I remembered you are not from this nation,”‘ Roach mentioned.

As of Friday’s episode, Roach had gained $320,081 US on the present, placing her in tenth place for highest earnings within the common season. She has additionally certified for the Event of Champions this fall, when she’ll face among the present’s most profitable gamers. That features 40-game winner Amy Schneider, whose streak resulted in January, simply earlier than Roach filmed her first episodes.

“I’m so excited to most likely lose to her,” Roach mentioned.

For now, household, buddies and followers proceed to cheer her on.

Historic run producing buzz

Longtime Jeopardy!-viewer Terry Tomlin from Dartmouth, N.S., mentioned there’s added pleasure in rooting for a contestant with a neighborhood tie.

He is been watching the present for years together with his spouse and 4 youngsters, however these days they have been “watching each night time on the perimeters of our seats freaking out.”

“There is a deeper degree of engagement once you determine nearer with the particular person,” Tomlin mentioned Friday.

For many who know her personally, her success is not any shock.

“I all the time say she might have been on Jeopardy! when she was 10,” mentioned Jason Church, Roach’s cousin.

He has taken to promoting her efficiency on a block-letter signal exterior the Cape Breton grocery retailer he owns.

Roach shared an image of the signal on Twitter, describing it as “extraordinarily Cape Breton behaviour.”

Church, who runs Church’s Valufoods locally of Marion Bridge, mentioned it felt like a simple factor to do to assist his cousin — and stake a declare on her.

“She was born in RisePEI, however I name her a Cape Bretoner,” mentioned Church, noting her grandparents and cousins dwell on the island.

Since her reign started, Roach’s win streak is all clients need to discuss once they go to Church’s grocery retailer.

“It is the very first thing somebody says once they stroll within the door. They go: ‘Oh my God, your cousin’s killing it.’ Then they’re going to say: ‘How come she’s smarter than you?”‘ Church mentioned, laughing.