Amy Schneider might have been eliminated from the currently airing Jeopardy! Masters tournament last Wednesday (May 17), but there are no bitter feelings when it comes to her opponents.
Schneider, who won an impressive 40 games in a row during her run on regular Jeopardy, struggled to get a win on the board in the Masters competition, which sees six of the show’s elite contestants facing off. This saw her knocked out of the tournament last week (along with Sam Buttrey) after her final game against James Holzhauer and Andrew He.
Holzhauer, who topped the leaderboard after the opening games, took to Twitter to compliment Schneider after her exit. “When my wife asked @Jeopardamy to participate in our fundraiser last year, Amy jumped at the chance to pay her own way to Las Vegas and volunteer,” he shared. “It was my honor to share the Masters stage with an inspiration, a phenomenal Jeopardy player and an even better human.”
Schneider returned the compliment, responding to Holzhauer’s message with a tweet of her own. “James may play a villain on tv, but in real life he’s a great guy, as enjoyable to be around as he is frustrating to play against,” she said. “And I mean that; if I didn’t actually like him, I just wouldn’t say anything about him at all.”
James may play a villain on tv, but in real life he’s a great guy, as enjoyable to be around as he is frustrating to play against. And I mean that; if I didn’t actually like him, I just wouldn’t say anything about him at all https://t.co/jVWG4330fF
— Amy Schneider (@Jeopardamy) May 18, 2023
Holzhauer, who describes himself as the “supervillain” of game shows, has won plenty of people over during the Jeopardy! Masters tournament so far. His dominant gameplay, witty humor, and back-and-forth banter with host Ken Jennings have made him a popular figure among viewers.
“Two legends and thanks for the joy of watching the two of you compete on my favorite show,” commented one fan on Schneider’s tweet.
“I wasn’t crazy about James as a player, but as a human being a class act! Thank you for sharing this. And you are a class act too!” added another viewer.
“That’s why it is such a pleasure to watch all of the Masters together as it’s obvious that there is great chemistry between you all, and I am sure as a group, you all would not have been invited to participate. James appears to be a wonderful person, and philanthropist,” wrote another.
Jeopardy! Masters continues tonight (Monday, May 22) as Holzhauer and He enter the semi-finals along with Mattea Roach and Matt Amodio. The leaderboard has been reset for the semis, so everything is still to play for.
Jeopardy! Masters, Weeknights, 8-9 pm et, ABC
