Jeopardy Host Alex Trebek Dies at 80

Sadly, long time host of Jeopardy!, Alex Trebek, has passed away at age 80 after battling [...]

By Jamie Jirak

Sadly, long time host of Jeopardy!, Alex Trebek, has passed away at age 80 after battling pancreatic cancer. The beloved host was originally diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March of 2019 and has been keeping fans updated on his status over the last year. The official Twitter account for Jeopardy broke the news, saying, "Jeopardy is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends."

Trebek was born in Canada in 1940 and moved to the United States in the 1970s to begin his game show career. He first hosted The Wizard of Odds before moving on to High Rollers. Throughout the next decade, he made many appearances as a panelist and player on various game shows and when High Rollers was canceled in 1980, he began hosting Battlestars. However, it wasn't until 1984 that he received the job he held until he passed. Trebek spent over 30 years hosting Jeopardy! and even continued to do so while he was sick.

Trebek's career also included hosting Classic Concentration, CBS' Double Dare, Pillsbury Bake-Off, and more. He was also a contestant on Celebrity Bowling, Celebrity Poker Showdown, and various other competition series. Trebek made many guest appearances throughout his career and was seen on The X-Files, How I Met Your Mother, and Hot in Cleveland.

The host was very open about his struggles with cancer and spoke about his experience earlier this year.

"Now I'd be lying if I said the journey had been an easy one," Trebek shared in a video update. "There were some good days but a lot of not-so-good days. I joked with friends that the cancer won't kill me, the chemo treatments will. There were moments of great pain, days when certain bodily functions no longer functioned and sudden, massive attacks of great depression that made me wonder if it really was worth fighting on. But I brushed that aside quickly because that would have been a massive betrayal - a betrayal of my wife and soulmate, Jean, who has given her all to help me survive. It would have been a betrayal of other cancer patients who have looked to me as an inspiration and a cheerleader of sorts, of the value of living and hope, of my faith in God and the millions of prayers that have been said on my behalf."

Trebek is expected to appear in Ryan Reynolds' Free Guy, which is scheduled to be released next month. Our thoughts are with Trebek's friends and family.

Trending Now: