Atlantic City Teacher Teams Up with Jimmy Fallon and Jonathan Groff on 'Password' Holiday Special
A second-grade teacher from Atlantic City, Brittany Smith, has traded in her classroom for the bright lights of television. On NBC's "Password" holiday special, airing Monday night at 10 p.m., Smith will face off against host Keke Palmer and celebrity guest Jonathan Groff alongside Jimmy Fallon, the show's recurring star.
A veteran educator with over a decade of experience teaching elementary school students, Smith said her background in teaching has prepared her well for the fast-paced wordplay of "Password." "When you're teaching young kids, it kind of forces you to constantly think fast and communicate clearly," she explained. "Being an early childhood educator requires practicing different voices and facial expressions, which is exactly what I need to do on 'Password.'"
Smith's journey to becoming a game show contestant began when she saw a casting call on TikTok. She had never attempted to audition for a show before but had grown up watching "Password" with her grandmothers and loved the series' clever wordplay. After submitting an application video, Smith was selected for the holiday special and spent several days preparing at home, re-watching past episodes and practicing with her boyfriend.
Filming took place in late August, and while Smith found the experience initially overwhelming, the crew's camaraderie helped ease her nerves. When asked about working with Fallon and Groff, she praised their professionalism and welcomed approach. "Jimmy Fallon was familiar with the game, which gave him an edge," she said, "while Jonathan Groff brought a theatrical flair to the show." Her colleagues at school have caught wind of her appearance through TV commercials and are eagerly anticipating the episode.
For Smith, landing on "Password" is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A travel enthusiast who spends her downtime working on children's books, she said being part of the show is an exciting experience that aligns with her love of spontaneity. Her students may soon discover her game show star turn, but for now, she's relishing the chance to share it with them.
A second-grade teacher from Atlantic City, Brittany Smith, has traded in her classroom for the bright lights of television. On NBC's "Password" holiday special, airing Monday night at 10 p.m., Smith will face off against host Keke Palmer and celebrity guest Jonathan Groff alongside Jimmy Fallon, the show's recurring star.
A veteran educator with over a decade of experience teaching elementary school students, Smith said her background in teaching has prepared her well for the fast-paced wordplay of "Password." "When you're teaching young kids, it kind of forces you to constantly think fast and communicate clearly," she explained. "Being an early childhood educator requires practicing different voices and facial expressions, which is exactly what I need to do on 'Password.'"
Smith's journey to becoming a game show contestant began when she saw a casting call on TikTok. She had never attempted to audition for a show before but had grown up watching "Password" with her grandmothers and loved the series' clever wordplay. After submitting an application video, Smith was selected for the holiday special and spent several days preparing at home, re-watching past episodes and practicing with her boyfriend.
Filming took place in late August, and while Smith found the experience initially overwhelming, the crew's camaraderie helped ease her nerves. When asked about working with Fallon and Groff, she praised their professionalism and welcomed approach. "Jimmy Fallon was familiar with the game, which gave him an edge," she said, "while Jonathan Groff brought a theatrical flair to the show." Her colleagues at school have caught wind of her appearance through TV commercials and are eagerly anticipating the episode.
For Smith, landing on "Password" is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A travel enthusiast who spends her downtime working on children's books, she said being part of the show is an exciting experience that aligns with her love of spontaneity. Her students may soon discover her game show star turn, but for now, she's relishing the chance to share it with them.
It's so cool that her teaching background has helped her prepare for the fast-paced wordplay. I remember watching Password with my grandmas when I was younger, it was always such a blast trying to guess the words. Now Brittany Smith gets to experience the thrill of playing on the show and sharing it with her students at school... it's just so sweet! 
but I'm more curious about what'll happen on the show itself 
! Brittany Smith is actually a second-grade teacher who turned out to be pretty awesome at this game show thing 
. Her experience teaching young kids apparently helped her develop those lightning-fast thinking skills, which are totally needed for the fast-paced wordplay of 'Password'. I think it's so cool that she was inspired by watching 'Password' with her grandmothers and now she gets to be on the show! 
And I love how down-to-earth she is - it just shows you don't have to be a famous star to shine on TV 
.
It's all about adapting to new situations and being spontaneous, just like how we should approach life in general. We never know what's gonna come our way, so let's learn to think fast and be flexible, just like Brittany did 
she must be so nervous and excited at the same time! i mean, who wouldn't want to trade in their lesson plans for a spot on a game show? 
and yay for Jonathan Groff bringing some extra flair to the show 
. i hope the teacher's students are super proud of her – it's awesome that she's sharing this experience with them. 
It's all about embracing spontaneity and taking risks, right? Maybe we're witnessing the birth of a new game show star... 
I mean, who wouldn't want to see their favorite game show host and celebrities like that in one episode?! 
And can we talk about how cool it is that she got discovered through TikTok? That's just the most lit way to become a game show star! 
The fact that she's still down-to-earth and loves sharing her experience with her students (and now, us too 
) makes this even more awesome. Bring on the episode, I'm all in! 
i'm definitely gonna tune in to watch her episode 
. What do you guys think? Do you want to see more teachers on TV game shows? 
. Teaching elementary school kids must've given her the skills to think fast and communicate clearly, you know? 
And can you imagine being a kid in her class when she shows up on TV? 
Her background in teaching actually sounds super helpful for the game, can u imagine her just thinking fast & communicating clearly like a pro? 
. And can you imagine how excited her students are gonna be when they see her on TV?