Transgender ‘Jeopardy!’ Champion Amy Schneider Win Streak Ends

Transgender Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider has been knocked out after an impressive 40-game winning streak.

Schneider, a man living as a woman, lost Wednesday night’s episode to Chicago librarian Rhone Talsma, who earned $29,600 over Schneider’s $19,600. Though Schneider initially led the pack, he fell behind with the category “Countries of the World.”

“The only nation in the world whose name in English ends with an ‘H’ and is also one of the 10 most populous,” read the provided answer. The winning question: “What is Bangladesh?”

Schneider lost his bet of $8,000 while Talsma won his bet of $12,000. His total for all 40 games officially clocks in at $1,382,800, according to Fox News.

“I had thought that Rhone was going to be tough going into it,” Schneider said in a statement. “I loved hanging out with him, we had great conversation before the taping, but I could tell that he was here to play and that he was going to be good.”

“It’s really been an honor,” Schneider continued. “To know that I’m one of the most successful people at a game I’ve loved since I was a kid and to know that I’m a part of its history now, I just don’t know how to process it.”

Schneider will return this coming fall for the “Tournament of Champions” series.

Rhone Talsma said he was “thrilled” to be the one to “slay the giant.”

“I was so excited to be here and I just wanted to do my best,” he said. “I did not expect to be facing a 40-day champion, and I was excited to maybe see someone else slay the giant. I just really didn’t think it was going to be me, so I’m thrilled.”

Schneider became the first transgender contestant of Jeopardy! to qualify for the show’s “Tournament of Champions” last December, winning 10 consecutive games after taking home $380,200.

In a November Twitter thread, Schneider, who wore a transgender flag pin on the show, said he wanted to be known for “other things” and did not want to be known just for being transgender.

“I didn’t want to make too much about being trans, at least in the context of the show,” wrote Schneider. “I am a trans woman, and I’m proud of that fact, but I’m a lot of other things, too!”

“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. But I also didn’t want it to seem as if it was some kind of shameful secret.”