'Jeopardy!'s Matt Amodio Makes a Dig at Champ James Holzhauer

James Holzhauer and Matt Amodio on 'Jeopardy'

Two Jeopardy! champions who competed against each other on the game show went head to head off-screen with biting insults on social media.

The battle of wits started when James Holzhauer shared an article about Emma Stone discussing her efforts over the years to get on the regular Jeopardy! series, rather than Celebrity Jeopardy!

The actress said of the test for potential Jeopardy! contestants while guesting on the Variety Awards Circuit podcast, “You can only take it once a year with your email address. So every June I take the quiz & they don’t tell you how you did… guess what, I haven’t gotten on the show. I watch it every single night and I mark down how many answers I get right.”

Commenting on Stone's wish to be on Jeopardy!, Holzhauer called out Matt Amodio as he joked, "ik she doesn’t want to go on Celebrity Jeopardy because the competition there is beneath her. As someone who shared the stage with @AmodioMatt, I sympathize."

He also took a direct dig at the show and how it has been featuring returning contestants rather than brand new people, writing that "the fatal flaw in her plan is that it would require regular Jeopardy to cast a first-time contestant."

Fans were stunned by Holzhauer's comments, with responses like, "Woke up and chose violence," and "What's............ an unprovoked attack?"

But Amodio didn't just sit back and take the jab. Instead, he returned the favor with a pointed insult of his own, writing, "@James_Holzhauer is also unimpressed by Emma Stone playing someone with a child's brain in an adult body in @PoorThingsFilm, as he does this every day and nobody gives him a Golden Globe for it."

Fans cheered Amodio on, with one Jeopardy! viewer saying, "I like it, don’t back down Matt, his ego is even bigger than his winnings."

Another shared their appreciation for the two's fun rivalry, comparing Holzhauer and Amodio to a famous pair of close friends: "Your witty banter reminds me of the same banter between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. You and James have a wonderful bromance going, and we are here for it!!"

Holzhauer and Amodio went up against each other in the Jeopardy! Masters tournament in early 2023, with fellow champ Mattea Roach competing as well. In the end, Holzhauer managed to beat both to win the grand prize.

Next, Jeopardy! Contestant's Major Misstep During Final Inspires Sympathy from Viewers: "Tough Break"