Jeopardy! Phenom Mattea Roach Throws Her Support Behind Ken Jennings

23-year-old Jeopardy! contestant Mattea Roach has won over fans with her wrist swings and laid back vibe, but she's deadly serious when it comes to the future of the iconic game show. In an interview with Vulture published Thursday, Roach, who has won 22 consecutive games — the fifth most in Jeopardy! history — said she would prefer Ken Jennings over Mayim Bialik as the show's permanent host.

Roach has taped with both Jennings and Bialik during her run on the show, but when asked which is "the best choice for a permanent host," the 23-year-old was clear. "I would say Ken because of his history with the show," said Roach. "As a contestant, there’s something really special about being onstage with the greatest player of all time. Someone who understands in a very visceral way what it’s like to be in your position. Mayim is fantastic, but she doesn’t have that same experience."

The phenom was also asked about her nonchalant wrist movements, which have gone viral on Twitter. "My wrist has received fan mail. If anything, my wrist received a lot of hate mail," she said. "A lot of people really didn't like it. I saw a couple fan cams of my wrist, which is funny."

Best performance by a wrist on television this year so far https://t.co/YBIUJ5y57G

— Mattea Roach facts and updates (@transitdiagram) April 28, 2022

"There's a lot of queer people specifically who have been fans of the way I move my hands and body," she continued. "It's not something I thought about at the time I was taping, but it's fun to see the support from that community, which I'm a part of."

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Deena ElGenaidi's writing has been featured in Nylon, MTV News, Insider, The AV Club, and more. You can follow her on Twitter @deenaelg.