What is matchmaking Alex? Two Teachers marry after meeting on Jeopardy!

By SchoolStatus • 2 min

A high school teacher and a middle school teacher met in the green room while recording Jeopardy back in 2013 and the rest was gameshow history. The New York Times reports that the two love birds married in July, 2017.

Michael Townes a high school teacher from Canada and Maryanne Lewell a middle school teacher from South Carolina were on the gameshow to record episodes for the ‘Teachers Tournament”.

The two reportedly chatted in the green room while recording in California and then met up later with a large group for drinks between tapings. They bonded immediately that evening, but they were both ultimately there to try and win.

The Times reports that Lewell appeared on two of the 10 shows recorded and she made it to the semifinals. Townes did not have as strong of a performance, he did not make it past the quarterfinals while competing on a separate show.

“It’s sort of a sore subject,” Townes told the Times. He was leading through Double Jeopardy before being eliminated.

However, one could argue both teachers were ultimately winners. They stayed in touch after recording and realized that they had a lot in common. Things like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and comics.

“She was so sweet and smart and easy to talk to,” Townes told the Times.

The teachers strengthened their relationship over the past four years and married on July 7, 2017.

Alex Trebek was reportedly invited to the wedding, but was unfortunately unable to make it. He did respond to them via email.

“My congratulations to the couple Although Maryanne and Michael are not the first couple to have met at ‘Jeopardy’ and gone on to be married, they participated in one of our best Teachers Tournaments…Even though neither won the competition, they certainly are ‘Winners in Love”

-Trebek

SchoolStatus

SchoolStatus connects educators and families around the topics that matter most. The company partners with K–12 districts to improve attendance, engage families, and build trust so students can succeed. A recognized leader in data-driven attendance and family engagement solutions, SchoolStatus enables districts and educators to engage families with relevant, timely communications and proactive support on important topics including absenteeism, literacy progress, and overall student readiness. Today, SchoolStatus supports districts in all 50 states and serves more than 22 million students nationwide as a trusted partner in driving better student outcomes.