Inside Beloved Jeopardy Host Alex Trebek's Heart-Wrenching Battle With Cancer

Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek was renowned for his sunny nature. Although his passing in November of 2020 was devastating for fans around the world, he is remembered for remaining positive and keeping his sense of humor 'til the very end. So when he received the news that he had stage four pancreatic cancer, he shared his diagnosis on social media (but in typical Trebek fashion, kept it light). In response, fans came together to support the beloved gameshow host in totally unexpected ways, prompting Mr. Trebek to make a final statement that fans won't soon forget.

Opening Up

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Trebeck decided to be so open with his followers, though. Back in March 2019, after all, the host shared the news about his cancer on YouTube. In a video released on the Jeopardy! channel, he said, “Just like 50,000 other people in the U.S. each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer.”

Optimistic Outlook

Trebek continued, “Now, normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this. And I’m going to keep working and with the love and support of my family and friends – and with the help of your prayers also – I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease.” For reference, the American Cancer Society states that only around 9 percent of those with pancreatic cancer live for five years.

Keeping It Light

However, Trebek had clearly not lost his sense of humor. He continued, “Truth told, I have to [keep working] because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years. So help me. Keep the faith, and we’ll win. We’ll get it done.”

Making An Exit Plan

And it turned out that Trebek already knew how he planned to bow out of Jeopardy!. In early 2020, you see, he shared what he had in mind for his last day on the show. The presenter was close-mouthed about when that day would come, of course, but he did know exactly how he pictured it happening.