Couple who met as 'Jeopardy!' competitors share their love story, thanking Alex Trebek

When Emily and Stacy Cloyd met for the first time, back in 2010, they discovered they had much in common: Both had gone to school at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and were about to both reside in Washington, D.C. But the most remarkable thing about their first meeting was that it happened while both were auditioning to be contestants on Jeopardy! — and that it led not only to the two women facing off on an episode the TV game show, but falling in love, and getting married.

Now, a decade after their paths first crossed, and nearly eight years since they were married, the Cloyds are reflecting on the role that America’s favorite game show played in their love story, captivating the attention of people across the country through a series of social media posts.

It was a photo of Emily and Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek that sparked the initial attention, when Emily took to Twitter to share the impact that the show had on her life — referring to it as her “#JEffect” story. But little did her followers know that her long Twitter thread, explaining the testing and auditioning process for the show, would turn into a narrative about an even more important relationship in her life.

In it, she discussed the “other J! hopefuls,” not naming anybody in particular, and noting that one woman announced her alma mater, and plans to move to D.C., during the first in-person audition. Still, the coincidences in their stories didn’t captivate much of Emily’s attention until she was called to be on the show many months later. At that point, after arriving in California for the taping, she saw a familiar person who she later came to know as Stacy.

Stacy tells Yahoo Lifestyle that she was “pretty busy” during the time between the audition and the taping, as she was moving halfway across the country. However, when Emily re-introduced herself it “kind of came back to me.”

“We were chatting during the day of taping, we had lunch together,” Stacy recalls.

Ultimately, both of the women were chosen to play the same game and became competitors.

Stacy ended up winning the game, while Emily ended up with $50. Still, the women wound up making plans to have a joint watch party in D.C., which meant that the January taping wouldn’t be the last that they’d see of each other.

Stacy explains to Yahoo Lifestyle that the two were Facebook friends, which allowed them to stay in touch. But it wasn’t until a trip to go strawberry picking that she realized she might have feelings for Emily.

“I just sort of had this sense that I was really enjoying her company,” Stacy recalls. “I thought, yeah, I’m not done hanging out with her yet. I wanna spend more time with her. So we just sort of gradually spent more time together.”

Two years after the taping, Emily and Stacy were engaged. And they didn’t neglect to invite the man that played a part in bringing them together.

And although Trebek didn’t attend the nuptials, the couple still shared their thanks for him on Twitter with the hashtag #ThankYouAlex.

“Jeopardy! is a nice part of our story, but it’s not the focal point of our life at this point,” Stacy says.

Still, she understands why that snippet of their history has attracted the attention of so many people.

“It’s a cultural touchstone at this point. It’s something that has been familiar to people, it’s something that families can watch together, it’s something that really prizes knowledge and rewards people for being smart, and that’s something that most television shows don’t do,” she explains, before adding, “Jeopardy!’s really having a moment.”

Plus, Stacy points out, she and Emily aren’t the only ones to have found love on the show. In fact, there are a number of other Jeopardy players who have found their life-long partners through a similar process.

“It might just be the sheer longevity of the show. You get enough people together and eventually some of them fall in love,” Stacy surmises. “It’s a group of people who have something in common and who’ve shared an enjoyable and exciting experience. And so, when the combination just happens to be right, sometimes, I guess, it leads to romance.”

Related: ‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Receives Support From Former Contestants

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

• 'Jeopardy!' contestants organize charitable play-along to support Alex Trebek in fight against pancreatic cancer

• Jennifer Lopez flashes her abs as she teases Super Bowl halftime show

• Paulina Porizkova opens up about battling depression since Ric Ocasek’s death

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.