Jeopardy Champion Matt Amodio Reflects On Competing Under Seven Different Hosts, And Jokes That He Wants One Of Them Back
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Ken Jennings may hold the Jeopardy! record for most consecutive games won, and Brad Rutter stands as the biggest winner in Jeopardy! history, but when it comes to the best to ever play the game, Matt Amodio is at the top of a pretty unique statistic: He’s competed under seven different hosts. The super-champ recently reflected on what it was like to be a part of the quiz show following Alex Trebek's death, and he joked about why he might want one of those guest hosts to come back.
The majority of Jeopardy! contestants over its four-decade history competed with Alex Trebek as the host, and more current participants have seen either Ken Jennings or Mayim Bialik. However, Matt Amodio’s 38-game win streak came amid the hosting shakeup that followed Alex Trebek’s passing. Many fans took issue with the uncertainty of that era, but Matt Amodio explained on Inside Jeopardy! why it was an honor to witness, saying:
No, it was great. The guest-hosting time was really a special time, and I’m flattered and honored that I was able to be a part of it, because you got to see so many people come in who clearly revered the show and the institution that it is, and to see that experience where instead of just three people kind of in awe on the stage, you have four people in awe on the stage. It was a special moment for the show.
When Buzzy Cohen pointed out that Matt Amodio’s only losses have come from episodes led by either Ken Jennings or Mayim Bialik, the Jeopardy! Masters contestant said that when he returns for the spinoff’s second season, maybe he’d like to see a different face behind the lectern. Amodio joked:
What’s Joe Buck doing these days?
In addition to Joe Buck, Matt Amodio participated in Jeopardy! games guest-hosted by Robin Roberts, LeVar Burton and David Faber. Then-executive producer Mike Richards then came in after appointing himself the permanent host. However, that lasted only a day, before scandals forced Sony to part ways with Richards, and Mayim Bialik was called to fill in.
That's a lot of star power that Matt Amodio crossed paths with, but it was Ken Jennings who he most wanted to field clues from. However, he didn’t get that chance until the 2022 Tournament of Champions, where he was eliminated in the semifinals. He saw Jennings again on Jeopardy! Masters, where he placed third behind James Holzhauer and Mattea Roach. Did those experiences sour Amodio’s impression of Jennings as a host? The champ said:
My enthusiasm for having Ken as a host was initially from ignorance. I didn’t know what a negative experience it was going to be. No, I’m just kidding. He is a tremendous host. We already knew he was a tremendous trivia player and a tremendous person, but we have learned in the last few years that he is also an awesome host. It’s a different skill from playing that game but how he is also talented at that, I have no idea.
It's interesting to hear Matt Amodio’s recollection of that turbulent time in Jeopardy!’s history, since his experience of seeing seven different hosts is one that (hopefully) no other contestant is ever likely to experience. You can see Amodio in action, as ABC is re-airing Jeopardy! Masters at 9 p.m. ET Tuesdays on ABC, with all episodes also available to stream with a Hulu subscription.
