Alex Trebek, the polished host of Jeopardy! who for more than three decades was the man with the answers — all in the form of a question, of course — has died. He was 80.
Trebek died early Sunday morning surrounded by family and friends, Jeopardy! confirmed on social media.
On March 6, 2019, the game show icon revealed that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, but he vowed to beat it “because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years.” In November 2018, he had extended his deal through 2022.
In the weeks following his stunning announcement, hundreds of thousands of messages were sent to the host — all of which he read, according to a second video in which he thanked those folks for their support and encouragement. He said he lost his hair during cancer treatments and wore a hairpiece on the air.
“Working beside him for the past year and a half as he heroically continued to host Jeopardy! was an incredible honor,” executive producer Mike Richards said in a statement. “His belief in the importance of the show and his willingness to push himself to perform at the highest level was the most inspiring demonstration of courage I have ever seen. His constant desire to learn, his kindness and his professionalism will be with all of us forever.
Episodes hosted by Trebek will air through Dec. 25; his last day in the studio was Oct. 29, according to Sony Pictures Entertainment. The show “is not announcing plans for a new host at this time,” the company said.
(Excerpt) Read more in: The Hollywood Reporter