Over the last year, Alex Trebek has found himself battling on of his most difficult challenges yet. The beloved host of Jeopardy! informed fans he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and assured everyone of his intention to fight the disease. Now undergoing treatment, the 79-year-old host works hard each day to better himself, but that doesn’t mean Trebek is ignoring the reality of his diagnosis.
During a special on ABC, Trebek opened up about his more recent moments on Jeopardy! It was there the host said he experiences moments of sadness and depression but does his best to overcome them as they appear.
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“I don’t mind getting choked up. My oncologist told me one of the symptoms, if you will, of pancreatic cancer is that you get these moments of depression, sadness,” the host said.
Not long ago, fans of Jeopardy! saw such a moment for themselves firsthand. In November, a contestant on the show made headlines after they showed their love for Trebek in the most clever of ways. Dhruv Gaur was in third place during his taping and unable to answer the final clue given to him. He chose to ignore the question and simply wrote “What is… We [love] you, Alex!” which caused the host to pause.
“I read it first and then I got choked up because it suddenly registered on me: ‘Oh, dear. OK. Yeah,’” the host said of the moment.
As Trebek continues his battle against cancer, the host is finding himself faced with more love than ever before. Fans both new and old are sharing their strength with Trebek during his struggle with the hope he will continue hosting Jeopardy! for years to come.
Have you sent your well-wishes to Trebek yet? Let us know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things entertainment.
