Jeopardy! champ Ray LaLonde reveals the contestant he's 'eager to meet' after his winning streak end

Publish date: 2024-05-16

JEOPARDY!'s newest multiday winner has revealed there's one fellow super-champion - and fellow Canadian - he's eager to meet.

The current streak-holder, Ray LaLonde, buzzed about 23-time winner Mattea Roach in a new interview and said he'd be up for karaoke night.

Ray is a scenic artist from Ontario, Canada, who has won five games and $132,000 so far - making him eligible for next year's Tournament of Champions.

Jeopardy! caught up with Ray on Thursday after his fifth win where he related to fellow Canadian super-champ Mattea who won $560,000 last May.

“I’ve got a ways to catch up to her,” Ray said about Mattea, win-wise. “But it’d be lovely to meet her sometime and share stories.”

"Maybe Weird Al [Yankovic] could go to Toronto sometime and we could all sing [his parody song] 'I Lost on Jeopardy!."

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“I boned up on the material because I knew that would be a weakness for me," Ray added on studying up on all things US history.

Mattea doesn't seem opposed as earlier this week they gave their stamp of approval on Twitter.

"Canadian back at the champ’s podium today, I know that’s right!!" they wrote, adding they're watching all his episodes.

"Perfect timing too bc I just got home for the holidays so I actually have access to cable TV to watch Ray defend his title."

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Mattea was not only the first Gen-Z super-champ (winning at least 10 games) but the first Canadian to win big when they competed in Season 38.

TWINNING!

The father-of-one who started competing last Friday won over fans on Monday's show when he wildly revealed that he's a twin and his sibling is "in the process of auditioning for Jeopardy! right now."

He joked: "There's a chance you're gonna be seeing this face again and again."

Ken Jennings, 48, questioned: "Have you guys considered just swapping in and out during your run without telling us?"

Ray quipped back: "How do you know we're not?"

The show's host laughed before joking: "We're going to have to start fingerprinting before every game."

Ray added in his post-game interview from his winner's podium: "Our whole family grew up watching the original Art Fleming version of Jeopardy!," referring to the host before the late longtime host, Alex Trebek.

SWAY AWAY, RAY!

Ray designs sets for movies and TV shows, also revealing on stage that he just wrapped on Hulu's Handmaid's Tale.

Viewers have been impressed by his chops - and "narrator" voice - but some tough customers have taken to various online forums to complain that he's a swayer.

As the contestant responds to clues and keeps winning, he's also constantly swaying back and forth.

Earlier, on the show's podcast Inside Jeopardy, longtime producer Sarah Foss acknowledged the show is aware of his swaying too: "Ray, He kind of likes to move back and forth during his gameplay."

"Which is difficult for our camera operators."

"So he may or may not have gotten the nickname 'Ray the Sway.'"

"But Ray, however it is you like to win Jeopardy!, you do you!"

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According to TBS News Watch, the reasoning behind Ray's swaying is more than justified, it's due to a medical ailment.

The outlet wrote: "He suffered some spinal cord damage over a period of years, and had to work hard to prevent muscle spasms in his legs while he was on camera."

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