A New Brunswick teacher, Maryanne Lewell, has married a fellow Jeopardy! contestant, American Michael Townes, this month and become a media sensation in the process. Lewell, a teacher of history and social studies at Saint John High School, says she’s surprised by all the attention they’ve received because she and Townes are “just two nerds in love.” Lewell met the South Carolinian four years ago during the quiz show’s annual teachers tournament and fell for him after he visited her several times in Saint John. Their July 7 wedding in St. Andrews By-The-Sea, N.B., was featured in the coveted “Vows” section of The New York Times a notation that started a cascade of stories in publications ranging from People to Martha Stewart Weddings. “We are just a couple of boring nerds, who met doing something we love,” Lewell told The Canadian Press in an email from Texas where the new couple is visiting family. “And while the attention and support has been wonderful and affirming, it’s also overwhelming. But it’s cool that people love our story: we love it too.”
