On November 8th, we were given the heartbreaking news that TV legend, Alex Trebek, had lost his battle to stage four pancreatic cancer at 80 years old. Trebek hosted “Jeopardy!” for an impressive thirty seven years starting his journey in 1984. 

For decades people across the country have welcomed Trebek into their homes every night, trying to answer the questions along with the contestants. Hosting more than 8,000 shows, Trebek has won a Guinness World Record for “Most Game Show Episodes Hosted by the Same Presenter.” “Jeopardy!” has won 35 Emmy Awards, and Trebek himself has won six Emmy Awards for “Outstanding Game Show Host” and a lifetime achievement award. 

On March 6th, 2019, Trebek announced on air that he had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer: “I’m gonna fight this…I’m gonna 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 rates statistics for this disease.” Even after announcing this terrible news, Trebek kept joking and tried his best to stay the person he and the rest of the country has always known.

 Although Trebek said that he was in excruciating pain filming some episodes, he still did not hold back to tell a contestant when they missed an obvious question and stayed true to his witty self. After the announcement of his illness, ratings for the show began to soar; contestant James Holzhauer was on an impressive winning streak that kept people watching every night. 

The love for Trebek grew as he showed the country his immense strength and loyalty. Episodes Alex Trebek hosted will air until December 25th, 2020. There is a current search to find the next “Jeopardy!” host including options like Pat Sajak, George Stephanopoulos, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.