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‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Confesses His Escalator ‘Phobia’ To Guest Host Robin Roberts

We all have things that we are afraid of. Some of those things are rational and some are not, but that is a matter of perspective. Recently, one “Jeopardy!” contestant talked about his fears with guest host Robin Roberts.

That contestant, according to the popular quiz show’s Twitter account, is Matt Amodio from New Haven, Connecticut. It’s not a surprise that Matt would end up on “Jeopardy!” According to what Roberts said during the episode, he is working on his Ph.D.

“You seem like a confident guy,” the guest host said. “But, I hear you have a phobia about escalators.”

Matt confirmed that that was true. Then, he offered an explanation. And, honestly, once you hear his story you can see why he feels the way he does.

“I moved to a new city for my first job,” he said of the phobia. “I had it all planned out. … was going to live right next to the metro and take it everywhere. … wouldn’t need a car. Go there the first day, I look down and I say, ‘Am I a coward? Or, is this a really big escalator?”

In fact, it was a “really big escalator.” See, this “Jeopardy!” contestant had just moved to the nation’s capital. And, while it is home to the United States government, it is also home to something else. And, that something scared Matt.

“Turns out, Washington, D.C. has the largest escalator in the Western Hemisphere,” Matt told Roberts. “And, I’m a coward.”

You can watch Matt talk about his phobia of escalators on “Jeopardy!” with Robin Roberts below.

Robin Roberts Said Hosting ‘Jeopardy!’ is a ‘Thrill’

Robin Roberts, who serves as a co-host of “Good Morning America,” began her brief tenure as the guest host of “Jeopardy!” on Monday, July 19. Fittingly, during her first episode, Roberts shared some words of wisdom she learned from the quiz show’s legendary host, That host, of course, is the late Alex Trebek. He lost his battle with cancer in November 2020.

“Johnny Gilbert just said my name, what a thrill,” Roberts said during her first episode.”You have no idea (what it feels like) to hear him say my name.”

She then talked about Trebek. She said she knew the “Jeopardy!” host “well.”

“Of course, I’m honored to be here, guest hosting ‘Jeopardy!’ and paying tribute to the great Alex Trebek. I was blessed to get to know him well over the years. I have to say his spirit is very much here, very present,” Robin Roberts said. “I’m also looking forward to raising a lot of money for charity. Let’s do it. All right, let’s get into the game. Because as Alex said, ‘It’s not about you. It’s all about the contestants.’ … I wish you well.”

The charity that will benefit from the time Robin Roberts spends on “Jeopardy!’ is Be The Match.