Jeopardy! fans have been enthralled by the captivating and intelligent Amy Schneider, who, for the last three months, has been dominating every single episode of the trivia show. This week, however, Schneider finally concluded her run on the show after not being able to come up with the question for the Final Jeopardy Answer: “The only nation in the world whose name in English ends in an H. It’s also one of the 10 most populous.”
The correct response was ‘Bangladesh’ and only one contestant was able to answer correctly—Rhone Talsma, a librarian from Chicago.
Schneider became the second longest-running contestant on the show, appearing in 40 episodes. Plus, she’s now a millionaire, having won $1,382,800. On top of all of that, she’s also an LGBTQ icon, and one of the most high-profile transwomen in history, appearing nightly on televisions across the nation. For many Americans, she’s the first trans person they’ve ever spent time getting to know, which is breaking down barriers and opening doors for trans people everywhere.
In fact, Amy Schneider will be receiving special recognition at the upcoming 33rd annual GLAAD Media Awards. In a statement, GLAAD stated, “Amy Schneider has given Jeopardy!‘s nine million-plus nightly viewers a historic 40-game run full of masterful gameplay, while her media interviews and Twitter recaps of each game have given fans a glimpse into her life as a smart, charming transgender woman with a girlfriend and a rescue cat named Meep. Her visibility has been a bright spot, allowing millions of people to root for her success and start conversations about being transgender at a time when proposed bills in states like Arizona, Iowa, Indiana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Amy’s home state Ohio, are targeting transgender Americans for discrimination. Amy’s achievement will be celebrated for years to come by Jeopardy! fans and LGBTQ people everywhere.”
Plus, Schneider’s run on the show isn’t over just yet. She will be returning later in the year for the famous Tournament of Champions to compete against other notable contestants from the season.
