The unfortunate announcement came in over Twitter just recently: Alex Trebek, who had hosted the iconic Jeopardy! game show since 1984, recently passed away following his battle with cancer. Shortly after his passing, the official Jeopardy! Twitter account made a brief statement informing the public that Trebek had passed peacefully in his home, surrounded by friends and family. Though Sony has confirmed more episodes hosted by Trebek will air through December 25, they will not be announcing a new host for the time being.
Though the exact timing of this news did feel like a surprise given the TV star’s optimistic outlook, fans had been fearing for his health since Trebek initially announced his diagnosis last year. In a video posted to YouTube, the iconic game show host startled fans with the news that he would be receiving treatment for stage IV pancreatic cancer. At the time, he announced his intention to finish filming the current season of Jeopardy!, stating: “Normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working,” a promise he kept, as he continued to work on the show up to October 29, his last day in the studio.
He was certainly correct about about the prognosis: the average lifespan of an individual diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer is one year. So it was fairly encouraging when Trebek cleared that milestone, with frequent updates that indicated he was doing well, and hoping to continue working on the show as long as possible. Though he did not get the chance to beat the disease and finish out his time on the show, he had a long career, and a presence that touched millions of lives all across America, and the world. After hearing of his passing, Ken Jennings, who holds the record for the longest winning streak on Jeopardy! wrote: “Alex wasn’t just the best ever at what he did. He was also a lovely and deeply decent man, and I’m grateful for every minute I got to spend with him.”
Trebek was best known for his calm nature and soft-spoken wit. A steady and authoritative presence that corrected, but never ridiculed made him the perfect host of a show like Jeopardy! Though he was not the original host of the show, he came to define it in a way that cemented his reputation as one of the most dependable faces on TV. Trebek lived to be 80 years old and hosted Jeopardy! for 37 seasons. His passing is a massive blow to one of television’s longest running institutions. Alex Trebek will be missed dearly, and few could ask for a better legacy than the one he leaves behind.
Source: Jeopardy!/Twitter
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