Amy Schneider

Last updated

Amy Schneider
AmySchneider-byPhilipRomano.jpg
Schneider in 2024
Born (1979-05-29) May 29, 1979 (age 46) [1] [2]
Dayton, Ohio, U.S. [3]
Alma mater University of Dayton
OccupationWriter
Known for40-game winning streak on Jeopardy!
Spouse
    Kelly Anneken
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2004;div. 2016)​
    Genevieve Davis
    ​
    (m. 2022)​

Amy Schneider (born May 29, 1979) is an American writer and game show contestant. [4] Winning 40 consecutive games on the quiz show Jeopardy! from November 2021 to January 2022 and the November 2022 Tournament of Champions, she holds the second-longest win streak in the program's history, behind only Ken Jennings (74 games), who hosted the show as she competed. [5] [6] [7] [8] and the fourth-highest winnings in regular-season play. [9] [10] [11] Her streak is the longest win streak by a woman. [12] [13] She is the most successful woman and most successful transgender contestant ever to compete on the show, in terms of both the length of her streak and her $1.6 million in winnings. [14]

Contents

Schneider is known for her skill in the Final Jeopardy! round, [15] having responded correctly 30 out of 41 times in her run. She lives in Oakland, California. [16] Across all American game shows, she is the ninth-highest-earning contestant of all time.

Early life

Schneider grew up in Dayton, Ohio, [17] and attended Chaminade-Julienne High School. [18] In eighth grade, she was voted "Most likely to appear on Jeopardy!" by her classmates. [19] She graduated from the University of Dayton with a degree in computer science. [20]

Career

Jeopardy! streak

Schneider's first victory occurred on the November 17, 2021, episode, dethroning five-day champion Andrew He. [21] In the following 14 games, she missed only one Final Jeopardy! question. She missed a second in her 16th win. In total, Schneider has won over $1 million on Jeopardy!, [22] the fifth-most winnings of any contestant on the show in all play. [23] Schneider is the first openly transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. [17] Her winning streak came one year after Kate Freeman became the first openly transgender contestant to win on the show. [24] Schneider, who viewed Freeman's victory and several other trans contestants' losing appearances on the show as inspiration, has described the significance of having a trans identity: "The fact is, I don't actually think about being trans all that often, and so when appearing on national television, I wanted to represent that part of my identity accurately: as important, but also relatively minor." [25] Throughout her run on Jeopardy!, she expressed admiration for past champions Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer, Matt Amodio, and Julia Collins (the first woman to win 20 games in a row, at the time Jeopardy!'s second-longest streak). On a January 2022 episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen , Schneider said that she hoped Jennings would become the permanent host of the program, citing his comforting and empathetic presence. [26] After surpassing Amodio's 38-game winning streak in the January 24, 2022, episode, Schneider took second place for the most consecutive wins in Jeopardy! history at 39, behind only Jennings's 74 consecutive wins. [27] [28]

End of streak

Schneider was defeated in her 41st episode, aired on January 26, 2022, finishing second behind Rhone Talsma, a librarian from Chicago, Illinois. [29] [30] The "Final Jeopardy!" clue was, "The only nation in the world whose name in English ends in an H, it's also one of the 10 most populous." Talsma responded, "What is Bangladesh?", which was correct, putting him ahead of Schneider who had no response. [31] Her winnings totaled over $1,300,000, ranking her fourth in most money won in regular-season play behind Jennings, Holzhauer, and Amodio. [23]

Tournament of Champions

Schneider appeared in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions that aired in November 2022. [32] [33] On November 21, she won the tournament, along with its $250,000 grand prize. [34] She was the first openly transgender person to compete in, and to win, the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions. [35]

Jeopardy! Masters

In January 2023, ABC announced a new primetime Jeopardy! spinoff, Jeopardy! Masters , which brought back Schneider along with Amodio, Holzhauer, Sam Buttrey, Andrew He, and Mattea Roach in a Champions League-style event. [36] Schneider finished the quarter final round of Jeopardy! Masters in 5th place, and was eliminated from the competition. [37]

Strategy

Schneider has explained that when she sees a category where she is weak, she gets it "out of the way first. That way, if there were any doubles in that category, they would come up when there wasn't as much money to be wagered." [38] Later, she described her wagering strategy in a runaway game with little competition: "round up the second place score to the nearest thousand, double it, subtract it from my score, and then subtract another thousand in case I'd messed something up. [39] Schneider said that doing crossword puzzles helps her think of words "as both a concept and a collection of letters at the same time". [40]

Regular play winnings

Game no.Air dateFinal scoreCumulative winningsNotes
1November 17$31,600*$31,600
2November 18$33,800$65,400
3November 19$44,800$110,200
4November 22$45,400$155,600
5November 23$14,800$170,400First game in which she failed to give a correct response in Final Jeopardy! round.
6November 24$37,400$207,800
7November 25$50,000$257,800
8November 26$37,400$295,200
9November 29$47,000$342,200
10November 30$38,000*$380,200
11December 1$41,000$421,200
12December 2$61,800$483,000
13December 3$53,400$536,400
14December 20$34,800*$571,200Regular season play resumed after the 2021 Professors Tournament.
15December 21$35,000$606,200
16December 22$25,200$631,400Second game in which she failed to give a correct response in Final Jeopardy! round.
17December 23$56,000$687,400
18December 24$19,400$706,800Third game in which she failed to give a correct response in Final Jeopardy! round.
19December 27$38,400$745,200
20December 28$23,400$768,600
21December 29$37,400$806,000Set a record for longest win streak by a female player
22December 30$25,600*$831,600
23December 31$24,000$855,600Fourth game in which she failed to give a correct response in Final Jeopardy! round.
24January 3$42,000$897,600
25January 4$20,400$918,000Fifth game in which she failed to give a correct response in Final Jeopardy! round.
26January 5$32,000$950,000
27January 6$27,400*$977,400
28January 7$42,200$1,019,600Became fourth Jeopardy! contestant to win $1 million in regular gameplay winnings
29January 10$15,800$1,035,400Sixth game in which she failed to give a correct response in Final Jeopardy! round.
30January 11$22,400$1,057,800Seventh game in which she failed to give a correct response in Final Jeopardy! round.
31January 12$11,000$1,068,800Eighth game in which she failed to give a correct response in Final Jeopardy! round.
32January 13$32,800$1,101,600
33January 14$10,200$1,111,800Ninth game in which she failed to give a correct response in Final Jeopardy! round, lowest single day total.
34January 17$36,800$1,148,600
35January 18$15,400$1,164,000Tenth game in which she failed to give a correct response in Final Jeopardy! round.
36January 19$17,800$1,181,800Eleventh game in which she failed to give a correct response in Final Jeopardy! round.
37January 20$71,400$1,253,200
38January 21$54,000$1,307,200
39January 24$12,600$1,319,800Twelfth game in which she failed to give a correct response in Final Jeopardy! round. Passed Matt Amodio for second-longest winning streak in regular play, behind Ken Jennings.
40January 25$63,000$1,382,800
41January 26$19,600‡$1,384,800Defeated by challenger Rhone Talsma, who finished the game with $29,600. At the end of the first round, Schneider had $7,200; Talsma had $3,400; and challenger Janice Hawthorne Timm had $2,000. At the end of Double Jeopardy!, Schneider was in the lead with $27,600; Talsma was in second place with $17,600; and Hawthorne Timm was in third with $3,200. Schneider gave the wrong answer and finished second. She was awarded $2,000. This was the 13th game in which she failed to give a correct response in the Final Jeopardy! round.
* Yellow background denotes game which was not a runaway (lead going into Final Jeopardy! round could not guarantee a win).
‡ Red background denotes game in which Schneider is defeated.

Other appearances

From January 2012 to January 2021, before her run on Jeopardy! , Schneider hosted a podcast with her former wife Kelly Anneken called Up Yours, Downstairs! based on the television series Downton Abbey . [41]

In December 2022, it was announced that Schneider was developing a podcast entitled Amy Always Wins hosted by actor Rob Corddry for SmartLess Media. [42]

In September 2023, Schneider published her first book, a series of personal essays entitled In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life for Simon & Schuster. [43] [44] [45]

In April 2025, Schneider appeared on Top Chef alongside Jeopardy! champion Mattea Roach and actor Michael Cera (who competed on Celebrity Jeopardy! in January 2023). [46]

Personal life

Schneider is a trans woman; [25] she transitioned in 2017. [43] Schneider was married to Kelly Anneken (who would later compete on Jeopardy! at the start of Season 42 in September 2025) from 2004 until their divorce in 2016.[ citation needed ] On May 9, 2022, she married her partner, Genevieve Davis, after a three-month engagement. [47]

Schneider has a cat named Meep, a name given to her at the shelter before adoption, "because the only noise she would make was 'meep'. Me and my girlfriend said we would find another name for her, but she kept making that noise, and we realized it was the right name." [15]

In November 2022, Schneider testified at a Ohio House of Representatives committee meeting against the "Save Adolescencents From Expermintation (SAFE) Act" bill, which would restrict doctors' ability to provide puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy, and gender-afforming surgery to minors. [48]

Bibliography

Accolades

On January 19, 2022, Schneider was awarded a GLAAD Special Recognition honor for her Jeopardy! performance. [49] [50]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Amy Schneider [@Jeopardamy] (January 2, 2022). "I'm sometimes unsure whether I'm part of Gen X, or a Millennial (I was born in 1979). Evidence on the millennial side: I think avocado toast is great lol" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ↑ "I think it's safe to say 42 was a pretty wild year. I'm so grateful for all of it, and can't wait to see what 43 has in store! 🏳️‍🌈🙌#thisis43🎉". Instagram. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  3. ↑ Schneider, Amy [@Jeopardamy] (December 7, 2021). "I was born in Dayton, OH, where I lived the first 30 years of my life. I grew up in the Five Oaks neighborhood and went to grade school at Corpus Christi. That's where I was named "Most likely to appear on Jeopardy" (so, not in Corpus Christi, Texas, as some have guessed)" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved January 6, 2022– via Twitter.
  4. ↑ Freedman, Adriana (November 22, 2022). "Jeopardy!' Star Amy Schneider Dedicates Emotional Post to Her Wife After 2022 ToC Win". Yahoo! News. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  5. ↑ Jeopardy!. Season 38. Sony Pictures Television. January 13, 2022. Syndication.
  6. ↑ Video on YouTube
  7. ↑ "Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Consecutive Games Won". Jeopardy! . December 2, 2021.
  8. ↑ Weisholtz, Drew (January 4, 2022). "What is the 'Jeopardy!' Monday curse — and did Amy Schneider break it?". Today .
  9. ↑ "Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Highest Winnings (Regular-Season Play)". Jeopardy! . December 3, 2021.
  10. ↑ McCarthy, Tyler (December 23, 2021). "'Jeopardy' champion Amy Schneider is the fourth highest-earning contestant in history". Fox News .
  11. ↑ "Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: All-Time Winnings (including tournaments)". Jeopardy! . December 29, 2021.
  12. ↑ Thebault, Reis (December 30, 2021). "'Jeopardy!' champ Amy Schneider's 21st win in a row makes her the show's winningest woman". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  13. ↑ "All the Records Amy Schneider Broke During Her Historic Streak | J!Buzz | Jeopardy.com". www.jeopardy.com. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Overheard On Set: "What's it like to be a JEOPARDY! Millionaire?"". Jeopardy! . January 7, 2022.
  15. 1 2 Florence, Russell Jr. (December 23, 2021). "'Jeopardy!' Notebook: Smooth sailing for Dayton native on Day 17". Dayton Daily News . Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  16. ↑ "December 28, 2021". Jeopardy! . Sony Pictures Television. December 28, 2021. syndication.
  17. 1 2 Yahr, Emily (December 2, 2021). "Amy Schneider has made 'Jeopardy!' history — and helped the show find calm after chaos". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  18. ↑ Florence Jr, Russell (December 2, 2021). "UPDATE: The reigning 'Jeopardy' champion. Who is Dayton's own Amy Schneider?". Dayton Daily News . Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  19. ↑ Cramer, Maria; Gross, Jenny (December 30, 2021). "Amy Schneider Wins the Most Consecutive Jeopardy! Games of Any Female Contestant". The New York Times . Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Why so many 'Jeopardy!' champions are computer scientists". January 25, 2022.
  21. ↑ Smith, Ryan (November 18, 2021). "Transgender Woman Amy Schneider Becomes New Jeopardy! Champ During Trans Awareness Week". Newsweek . Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  22. ↑ Haring, Bruce (January 7, 2022). "Jeopardy! Champion Amy Schneider Breaks $1 Milllion [sic] In Winnings". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  23. 1 2 "Hall of Fame". Jeopardy! . Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  24. ↑ Ree Hines (December 16, 2020). "'Jeopardy!' contestant makes history as 1st out transgender player to win". Today . Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  25. 1 2 Kimberly Ricci (November 27, 2021). "Transgender 'Jeopardy!' Champ On What 'Sucks' About Winning Streak". Uproxx . Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  26. ↑ Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen . Season 19. Episode 15. Sony Pictures Television. January 25, 2022. Bravo.
  27. ↑ Ausiello, Michael (January 24, 2022). "Jeopardy! Champ Amy Schneider Climbs to No. 2 on All-Time Wins List, Behind Reigning MVP Ken Jennings". TVLine . Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  28. ↑ Greg Evans (January 24, 2022). "Amy Schneider Continues Jeopardy! Victory Streak To Become Second Winningest Contestant Ever". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  29. ↑ Jacobs, Julia (January 26, 2022). "Amy Schneider's Jeopardy! Reign Ends". The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  30. ↑ Evans, Greg (January 26, 2022). "Amy Schneider Jeopardy! Streak Ends After 40 Games And $1.4 Million". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  31. ↑ "Watch What Happened After Amy Schneider Lost". TV Insider . January 27, 2022. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Jeopardy! Contestant Zone: Eligible for Next Tournament of Champions". Jeopardy! . December 1, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions: Here's Who's Joining Amy Schneider and Sam Buttrey in the Finals". TVLine . November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  34. ↑ Li, David K. (November 21, 2022). "Who did 'Jeopardy!' crown winner in its Tournament of Champions?". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  35. ↑ Kiner, Deb (November 22, 2022). "'Jeopardy!' Tournament of Champions has first openly transgender winner". pennlive. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  36. ↑ Ausiello, Michael (January 11, 2023). "Jeopardy! Masters Spinoff Picked Up at ABC — Which Champs Made the Cut?". TVLine. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  37. ↑ Holmes, Martin (May 18, 2023). "'Jeopardy!' Champ Amy Schneider Reacts After Dramatic 'Masters' Elimination". TV Insider. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  38. ↑ Schneider, Amy (November 24, 2021). "Amy Schneider: I'm the first trans Jeopardy! contestant in the Tournament of Champions". Newsweek . Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  39. ↑ Schneider, Amy [@Jeopardamy] (November 30, 2021). "My general wagering strategy for a runaway game" (Tweet). Retrieved December 4, 2021– via Twitter.
  40. ↑ Ricci, Kimberly (December 14, 2021). "'Jeopardy!' Champ Amy Schneider Suggests Secret Of Her Winning Streak". Uproxx . Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Up Yours, Downstairs! A Downton Abbey Podcast". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  42. ↑ White, Peter (December 14, 2022). "Jameela Jamil, Rob Corddry & Jeopardy! Champion Amy Schneider Among Hosts Of Smartless' First Podcast Slate". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  43. 1 2 O'Neill, Shane (January 27, 2022). "'Jeopardy!' Hasn't Had a Player Like Amy Schneider". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 31, 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  44. ↑ "'Jeopardy' vet Amy Schneider runs the board on drugs, polyamory, transphobia and more". Los Angeles Times. September 30, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  45. ↑ Kosman, Joshua (September 27, 2023). "'Jeopardy!' champ Amy Schneider's new memoir talks trivia, transphobia — and what's next". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  46. ↑ Irshad, Zara (April 4, 2025). "'Jeopardy!' champ Amy Schneider puts 'Top Chef' contestants' culinary smarts to the test". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  47. ↑ Smith, Ryan (September 28, 2022). "'Jeopardy!' Reacts to Amy Schneider, Genevieve Davis' Secret Wedding". Newsweek. Newsweek Digital LLC. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  48. ↑ Yurcaba, Jo (November 16, 2022). "'Jeopardy!' champ Amy Schneider testifies against Ohio transgender care ban". NBC News . Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  49. ↑ "GLAAD Announces Nominees For The 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards" (Press release). GLAAD. January 19, 2022. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  50. ↑ Aquilina, Tyler (April 3, 2022). "'Hacks,' 'Drag Race,' and more honored at 2022 GLAAD Media Awards". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
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