Over the years, Daytime Emmy Award winner Alex Trebek has become synonymous with “Jeopardy!” The longtime host has earned the trust and admiration of countless viewers across the nation.
Last March, Trebek announced that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer on his YouTube channel.
“I have some news to share with all of you, and it’s in keeping with my longtime policy of being open and transparent with our “Jeopardy!” fan base,” said Trebek. “Just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer,” he shared.
While the news he broke was devastating, the then-78-year-old’s message maintained a surprisingly positive tone delivered in true game show host form. “Now, normally the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m gonna fight this, and I’m gonna keep working,” announced the hopeful host before asking for prayers.
Though the health updates Trebek shared over the following year consistently held that similar tone of positivity, sadly he lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on Sunday morning.
Alex Trebek died at 80 years old.
For almost forty years, Trebek charismatically and genuinely interacted with the thousands of contestants that participated in America’s favorite game show.
His impactful presence in the realm of TV entertainment endured the test of time, with him earning a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for “the most game show episodes hosted by the same person,” outdoing even the revered Bob Barker. The “Jeopardy!” host held an impressive record of over 8,200 shows.
According to an announcement by the official “Jeopardy!” Twitter account, Trebek passed away at home surrounded by the ones he loved yesterday morning.
“Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends,” the show’s tweet read. “Thank you, Alex.”
And they weren’t the only ones heartbroken by Trebek’s death.