Podcast

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

All Rights Reserved. Class Dismissed Podcast 2017

SchoolStatus
SchoolStatus is a unified K-12 platform that enables districts and schools to engage more families and improve attendance with our easy-to-use communications hub and data-driven attendance solutions. We support an integrated and impactful educational experience, from district leadership to families at home. With more than two hundred million successful school-home interactions, and millions of users, SchoolStatus drives meaningful results for districts and schools across the US.
Green Graphic Splash
Paper Airplane

Stay Connected

News, articles, and tips for meeting your district's goals - delivered to your inbox.