Sometimes Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek does “interesting” things, like when he was recently booed while moderating a debate between the Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidates. Even so, we still love him, which is why we’re all quickly going to get over the horrifying, nightmare fuel-making image that is Trebek shooting a promo for Wednesday’s Halloween-themed Jeopardy! while dressed as, and standing next to, KISS band member Gene Simmons.

“Boy, I hope I got this KISS makeup right,” Trebek says while stroking the massive wig of fake black hair. After Simmons, also dressed in full KISS regalia, tells him “you’re looking good, don’t worry,” the pair launches into the promotion. “Clues from Gene Simmons!” the host declares. “On Jeopardy!” the ridiculously long-tongued bassist adds. So yeah, Wednesday’s episode is going to be interesting.

If that weren’t enough, however, the game show’s Twitter account released a behind-the-scenes video of Trebek and Simmons getting into character in the hair and makeup department over at CBS. The pair then concludes the segment by wagging their tongues at the camera, so we’re all going to have to live with that image until the next shocking thing comes along in the next five minutes or so. But hey, at least Trebek decided to go back on his previous comments about leaving the show in 2020 and decided to renew his contract with CBS — along with Wheel of Fortune‘s Pat Sajak and Vanna White — through 2022.

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(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Some terrible news for Jeopardy! fans broke on Wednesday afternoon. Alex Trebek has released a video message, in which he reveals that he has been diagnosed with advanced (stage 4) pancreatic cancer. TMZ reports word from sources who say he received this diagnosis today, and he definitely hopes to finish recording the current season of his long-running game show. The outlet further states that he’s remaining as upbeat as possible following the news.

Here’s what Trebek declares in his recorded message, in which he vows to defeat cancer. The host states that he wants to be as transparent as possible with his audience, and Trebek even cracks a joke about his contract requiring him to continue hosting for multiple years:

“Hi everyone, 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. I also wanted to prevent you from reading or hearing some overblown or inaccurate reports regarding my health. So therefore, I wanted to be the one to pass along this information. Now, just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. 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. Truth told, I have to! 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. Thank you.”

Last year, questions about Trebek’s future with Jeopardy! swirled as he mulled over retirement, but priorities have clearly changed. He’s now pledging to beat his bleak diagnosis and stick with the show that he’s hosted since 1984 for more seasons to come. We wish him all the good health in the world and are rooting for a full recovery.

(Via TMZ)

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One of last week’s bigger shocks was the news that Alex Trebek, longtime host of quiz show Jeopardy!, has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Trebek revealed the news in a typically professional, terse, yet quietly droll video message, in which he assured his many brainy fans that he intends to fight the disease and continue as host of the show that made him a television and trivia legend.

Now Jeopardy’s second-most-famous star has weighed in: Ken Jennings, who holds the record for the show’s longest winning streak — 74 games, a feat he achieved in 2004 shortly after the program loosened rules about how long contestants can remain on the show. Jennings already tweeted about Trebek, calling him “the last [Walter] Cronkite: authoritative, reassuring TV voice you hear every night, almost to the point of ritual.” He also spoke to Vulture. Now Jennings has penned a moving essay for The New York Times about the host of the show that made him famous.

“Let me be clear: This is not an elegy,” Jennings wrote, before saying he hopes he’ll keep the job for a long time coming. “It’s impossible to even imagine the show with anyone else. But he’s been doing one job so long, and so well, that I think we sometimes take him for granted. Let’s make sure that we appreciate the man as long as we have him.”

Jennings admitted he doesn’t know Trebek all that much more than those who haven’t spent a good chunk of a year correctly showing off his arcane trivia prowess. “He remains, I like to say, a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a Perry Ellis suit,” Jennings wrote.

Alex Trebek fascinates America, but we don’t quite get him. He’s a game show host, but he’s not hearty or ingratiating. He’s a comedy signifier, most famously lampooned by Will Ferrell on “Saturday Night Live” for many years, but he also seems to be in on the joke. My picture of him has been built up in little glimpses over the years, to the point where I finally feel confident handling the endless stream of “What’s Alex like?”

Jennings reveals that Trebek is “all business” when the game is on; understandably, as he “has 61 clues to get to.” He does loosen up when the cameras are off, though, taking “studio audience questions at every break, sometimes slipping into funny accents or even bits of soft-shoe.”

He also reiterates his comparison to Cronkite, adding one to Johnny Carson, saying they may be gone, “but Alex Trebek remains, the last of the old-school broadcasters who once visited us every night as a matter of ritual.” And just to remind you: This isn’t an elegy, as Jennings said, Trebek’s not going anywhere.

(Via The AV Club)

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The game show world and trivia nerds alike were shocked when longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek announced he had pancreatic cancer last week. Trebek, who said he was likely to vacate his hosting duties beside the big board in 2020, sparked an outpouring of support when he gave his health announcement to fans who have spent years watching him host Jeopardy!

The thought of losing Trebek was hard for everyone — the Canadian game show host is forever tied to the quiz show and has been a familiar face on your TV before (or after, depending on your syndication market) Wheel of Fortune for decades. Trebek’s health and future at the podium are uncertain right now, but it’s clear that he’s well-loved by fans. And he took some time to thank those fans a week after his health update was made public.

On Thursday, the official Jeopardy! account tweeted out a video of Trebek thanking fans for the “hundreds of thousands” of messages in various forms of media that Trebek has read over the last week.

“I’ve heard from former contestants — even Watson, the IBM computer, sent me a get well card,” Trebek said. “Now, obviously I won’t be able to respond to all of you individually, but I did want you to know that I do read everything I receive.”

It’s a nice gesture to thank fans, but the message also serves as news that he’s gotten so many messages in the first place. And it’s awesome to know that if you sent kind words his way, Trebek has read them. And despite his diagnosis, he called himself “lucky.”

“I am thankful for the kind words, the prayers and the advice you have offered and I’m extremely touched by the warmth you have expressed in your comments to me,” Trebek said. “I’m a lucky guy.”

It’s hard not to love Trebek for the way he does his job on TV, and we wish him nothing but the best in his fight. It’s hard to imagine him not on TV on weeknights after dinner, and it’s even harder to imagine him not here at all.

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While current champion James Holzhauer’s dominance has been at the forefront of Jeopardy! in recent days, fans of the show are cognizant of the current situation with longtime host Alex Trebek. Earlier this year, Trebek announced that he is battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and while he was going to keep hosting, the show’s beloved host would fight the ailment.

With the show’s 35th season marching towards its conclusion, Trebek found it important to address the show’s audience about what the future holds. Everyone’s favorite quiz show host recorded a video that was posed to the official Jeopardy! Twitter account in which he announced his plan to come back for season 36.

Trebek, on the final day of filming for this season, thanked fans for their “continuing messages of encouragement and support” with a special shoutout to “the many cards I’ve received from young people.” He then went on to say he always wants to be honest with fans, and preparations are already being made for next season.
https://twitter.com/Jeopardy/status/1118603861105659904

“So, I look forward to seeing you once again in September with all kinds of good stuff,” Trebek said to close the video. The day where Trebek no longer hosts Jeopardy! is coming, but it’s good to know we still have time before that day comes.

Beloved Jeopardy host Alex Trebek stopped by Good Morning America on Wednesday to provide an update on his health, after having been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer earlier this year. Despite ups and downs, Trebek has filmed 50 episodes since his diagnosis, but plans to rest and recuperate over the summer months before returning for season 36 in September.

Despite the seriousness of his condition, Trebek opened up on his cancer battle with his trademark combination of candid honesty and sense of humor. “My oncologist tells me I’m doing well, even though I don’t always feel it,” he told host Robin Roberts, who herself is also a cancer survivor:

I’ve had kidney stones, I’ve had ruptured discs so I’m used to dealing with pain, but what I’m not used to dealing with is the surges that come on suddenly of deep, deep sadness, and it brings tears to my eyes. I’ve discovered in this whole episode, ladies and gentleman, that I’m a bit of a wuss, but I’m fighting through it — my platelets, my blood counts are steady, my weight is steady, the numbers that are cancer indicators, those are coming down. So, I’ve got another chemo next week and we’ll do a review to find out where things stand.”

Chemo affects people in different ways, and people have to understand that. There’s nothing wrong with saying, ‘Hey, I’m really depressed today and I have no idea why. Why am I crying?'”

On a lighter note, Trebek also took a moment to discuss James Holzhauer, the latest Jeopardy sensation who recently hit the $1 million mark in the shortest span ever in the game’s history. Trebek admitted that he’s just as excited as the rest of America watching the 34-year-old gambler lay waste to competition night after night. So much so that the phenomenon has forced him to “change a view” that he had held for many years.

“And that is that the Ken Jennings record would never be broken,” Trebek admitted of Holzhauer, who has now won 74 consecutive games. “But I look at James and I say, ‘Oh my gosh, look at what he’s doing.'”

Near the end of the interview, Roberts steered the conversation back to the subject of Trebek, who gave a heartfelt answer about how much the outpouring of support has meant to him, when asked what he’s learned him himself since his diagnosis.

“I think I’ve learned that I’m an extremely lucky individual. Because in spite of the fact that this diagnosis is not a good one, I have managed to receive so much love from so many people, and quite often you don’t get that during your lifetime,” he told Roberts. “After you’re passed, after you’re dead, people will say, ‘He was such a nice guy, we really liked him,’ but I’m getting all that before that event. So it makes me feel really, really good.”

The winning streak of James Holzhauer has captivated Jeopardy! viewers for weeks now, but so too has host Alex Trebek’s ongoing battle with pancreatic cancer. Ever since the esteemed television icon revealed his cancer diagnosis back in March, fans have been lending their support to him while wondering how the 78-year-old presenter is able to cope with the intense treatments. In a new interview with CBS Sunday Morning set to air this weekend, Trebek explains this and other related items — like his new hairpiece.

Speaking with anchor Jane Pauley in his own home, Trebek revealed that the treatment caused him to suffer intensely painful stomach cramps. “This got really bad. I was on the floor writhing in pain,” he explained. “And it happened three or four times a day while we were taping. So that was a little — little rough on me.” Despite the pain, however, Trebek refused to cancel any Jeopardy! tapings because of it:

“I taped the show, and then I made it to the dressing room on one occasion, just barely, before I writhed in pain and cried in pain,” Trebek says. “So — and I had 15 minutes before the next show. So I got myself together and spasms of that kind usually last about 10 to 15 minutes. So all right, here we go again. ‘Anybody got any pain pills?’ And I don’t like taking pain pills. But — so I — I got through it. And the producers were very kind. They said, ‘Look, if you — If you don’t want to do the show — we’ll just cancel taping.’ I said, ‘No. We’re here. We’re doing the shows.'”

And then there’s the matter of his hairpiece, which Trebek had to start wearing when his chemotherapy inevitably led to hair loss. Ever the game show host, he turned it into a sort of challenge. “So what the challenge for Jeopardy! viewers right now is to figure out, ‘Is that Alex’s real hair, or is that a full hairpiece?’ Because they all know that when you start chemo you lose your hair. So which is it?”

Even Pauley couldn’t resist inspecting Trebek’s hairline as he explained this challenge. “This is not the real me,” he revealed to her. In amazement, the CBS Sunday Morning anchor responded, “Wow!”

Trebek’s full interview for CBS Sunday Morning airs this Sunday, May 12th at 9 a.m. ET/PT on CBS.

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Less than three months after Alex Trebek revealed a bleak medical diagnosis, things are looking so much better. The Jeopardy! host previously disclosed to fans that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer while defiantly insisting that he’d beat the illness. He later admitted to feeling sadness during his battle, which includes intense rounds of chemotherapy, but he continued taping his long-running game show while enduring severe pain. Now, Trebek has told People that his doctors believe he’s “near remission.”

That’s incredible news, given the 9 percent five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer patients. Indeed, Trebek calls his medical update “kind of mind-boggling” while adding that some of his “tumors have already shrunk by more than 50 percent.” In addition to his medical care, Trebek believes that all the positive vibes coming his way have worked plenty of good:

“I’ve got a couple million people out there who have expressed their good thoughts, their positive energy directed towards me and their prayers. I told the doctors, this has to be more than just the chemo, and they agreed it could very well be an important part of this. I’ve got a lot of love out there headed in my direction and a lot of prayer, and I will never ever minimize the value of that.”

Trebek still has more rounds of chemotherapy to endure, but his doctors have also told him that they have never seen such a drastically positive response to a patient until he arrived. Here’s to hoping that this success continues until Trebek officially receives the all-clear signal.

(Via People)

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Over the years, Jeopardy! categories have elicited some pretty comical sound bites. Some of the most entertaining moments come when contestants choose from a “rap” category and Alex Trebek gives his best impression of popular rappers. On Thursday night’s episode of Jeopardy!, Trebek tried to capture Lil Jon‘s signature joyous catchphrase.

Lil Jon was the $800 answer for Jeopardy! contestants. The question referenced his popular song “Turn Down For What” and his familiar slogan, “yeeeeeeeahh.” Alex Trebek read the question and gave his best shot at mimicking the rapper’s voice.

Though the question was technically referencing Dave Chappelle‘s impersonation, no Alex, you were not close.

Jeopardy! contestant E.J. ended up correctly answering, “What is Lil Jon?”

More popular rappers were the answer to several of Thursday night’s Jeopardy! questions. The $400 question showed a photo of Lil Wayne with 2 Chainz, while Trebek mentioned their collaborative album ColleGrove, then asked the contestants to correctly name Lil Wayne. The same contestant ended up getting the answer right, “Who is Lil Wayne?”

Lil Yachty was the answer for the category’s $1,000 question.

Trebek is back as a host on the show after a battle with pancreatic cancer earlier this year. He recently opened up about his diagnosis on an episode of Good Morning America. “I think I’ve learned that I’m an extremely lucky individual. Because in spite of the fact that this diagnosis is not a good one, I have managed to receive so much love from so many people, and quite often you don’t get that during your lifetime,” he said. “After you’re passed, after you’re dead, people will say, ‘He was such a nice guy, we really liked him,’ but I’m getting all that before that event. So it makes me feel really, really good.”

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James Holzhauer‘s record-setting Jeopardy! run came to an end earlier this month, but he’s still making news. No, it has to do with leaked footage or conspiracy theories — Holzhauer, who took home $2,464,216 over 33 appearances on the long-running game show, donated a portion of his winnings to a Chicago-area pancreatic cancer walk in Alex Trebek’s name.

In March, the Jeopardy! host publicly announced that he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and although he’s “near remission,” not everyone is so lucky (Trebek called his medical update “mind-boggling,” given the nine percent five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer patients). During Holzhauer’s winning streak, Ann Zediker, a resident of Naperville, Illinois (where “Jeopardy James” used to live), invited him to the 2019 Naperville Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk in July. “At the end of the day, I had nothing to lose,” Zediker told CNN. “My heart told me it was the right thing to do.” Holzhauer replied, saying he unfortunately wouldn’t be able to attend, but “he sent her a donation for $1,109.14.”

At first, Zediker was confused by the dollar amount. But then it dawned on her — the number represented his daughter Natasha’s birthday. “There was no expectation on my end,” she told CNN. “I was just thrilled that he responded. I knew that Alex’s story had an impact on him, just like it has an impact on anyone who’s working with a family member who’s going through pancreatic cancer.” (Via)

Holzhauer’s message with the donation: “For Alex Trebek and all the other survivors.” The Naperville Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk is put on by the Lustgarten Foundation, where “100 percent of your donation goes directly to pancreatic cancer research.” To discover more, or to donate, click here.

(Via CNN)

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Jeopardy! is known for eliciting some pretty hilarious answers, but it’s always disappointing when none of the contestants get an answer right. That was the case on Friday night’s episode, when none of the participants could figure out a clue involving The 1975.

Jeopardy! is currently hosting an installment of Teen Tournament, in which the contestants are between the ages of 13 and 17. The recent episode had a question which referenced The 1975’s sophomore album I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It. Host Alex Trebek gave the young participants the clue, “I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it was a no. 1 album for this ‘yearly’ band.” A short silence followed the clue because none of the contestants knew the right answer. “Who are the 1975?” Trebek then answered for the teens before moving on to the next question.

In other recent Jeopardy! news, the long-running winner, James Holzhauer, donated a portion of his prize money to a cancer organization in Alex Trebek’s name. Trebek publicly announced last March that he has been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. Since the original announcement, Trebek has said he’s “near remission” and continues to host the show.

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In recent months it seems that Jeopardy! has had some fun with its questions. Some of it seems branded, with smart devices getting to ask questions on the show instead of Alex Trebek. Other times, it’s simply a question that’s asked about a person who is excited to appear on the show. It’s all in good fun, and some of it is good profit for Jeopardy!, which could use a boost after all that money James Holzhauer won.

But on Monday night, for example, the show had an entire category about audiobooks on Audible, which certainly made them some money. But they also took the time to throw some shade at New York Mets fans in a category that wasn’t even really about sports.

A category about flags — Let’s Talk About Flags in Double Jeopardy, to be specific — had a question about a very bad New York Mets team and, well, giving up.

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Objectively this is extremely funny, as long as you’re not a Mets fan. And it is a clever way to get a question about “white flags” into Jeopardy! without it being too obvious.

What’s funny about this is that it didn’t have to be about the Mets, and yet it was. And given the current slog the Mets are enduring, as well as the one referenced here, perhaps it’s more fitting than mean.

Five months after revealing that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek is back at work.

“I’ve gone through a lot of chemotherapy and thankfully that is now over,” he said in a clip promoting season 36 of the show. “I’m on the mend and that’s all I can hope for right now… Let me tell you, it’s going to be a good year.”

Trebek shared his cancer diagnosis in a video message in March, saying, “Now, just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working.” He later thanked fans for their support (“I’m extremely touched by the warmth you have expressed in your comments to me”) and even when he felt “surges” of “deep, deep sadness,” his sense of humor never went away. “Truth told, I have to [beat the disease] because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years,” Trebek joked.

CNN reports that production for season 36 of Jeopardy! is already underway, and the new episodes are slated to begin airing on September 9.

How do you pronounce the word “genre”? Say it out loud right now, because it probably doesn’t sound like what Alex Trebek says on Jeopardy! And once you hear him say it a few dozen times in a row, it might ruin your brain forever.

The longtime host of the show that James Holzhauer broke earlier in the year is back for Season 36 after enduring chemotherapy for what was a scary cancer diagnosis. And many fans seem to be celebrating the return of both Jeopardy! and Trebek hosting said show in a variety of ways. Perhaps the best is a video that Alex Jacob posted on Twitter on Friday. Jacob, who is a trivia streamer and winner of Jeopardy‘s All-Star and Tournament of Champions competitions, put together a small portion of the times Trebek has said “genre” on the show.

It’s, uh, pretty amazing.

It’s difficult to explain if you’re not going to click the video and watch it, but there’s something spectacular about the way Trebek pronounces “genre.” Every letter is somehow stretched out and allowed to breathe, like a fine wine improving in quality once it’s allowed contact with fresh air. Much has been made about Trebek’s cadence and the way he gives answers to contestants, but pulling a single word out and presenting it in rapid-fire style is mesmerizing.

It’s also very funny to see all the different genres that get clues on Jeopardy!, from sports to movies and even one about a “lowborn scamp.” Really exploring the space, and we’re all the better for it. It’s just good to have Jeopardy! back in our lives, and any montage of Trebek is usually a good one.

One other fun tribute that’s a bit more motivational is The Trebeck Affirmations Soundboard, which was made “for those distressing moments in life when you could use an audible nudge of encouragement” according to creator Rex Sorgatz.

It’s great for times when you need Trebek to encourage you, or perhaps praise you for getting a tough question right. It’s nice, and hearing Trebek say nice things (presumably about you) is lovely. Fun times all around.

In late August, Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek returned to work five months after revealing his stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis. The game show icon originally told fans that while the diagnosis for this type of cancer generally isn’t good, he was determined “to fight this, and I’m going to keep working.” The grueling treatment appeared to do the job, but Trebek appeared on Tuesday morning’s GMA to give another update: he’ll be undergoing more treatment after experiencing a setback.

As Trebek told ABC News’ T.J. Holmes, his doctors want him to undergo a second round of chemotherapy after he lost several pounds in one week. He also spoke about the “excruciating pain” and “fatigue” he suffered after his diagnosis, and he concedes that “cancer is mysterious in more ways than one.” Trebek says that perhaps his doctors’ initial reports were too optimistic, so he’s diving back into treatment:

“I was doing so well. And my numbers went down to the equivalent of a normal human being who does not have pancreatic cancer. So we were all very optimistic. And they said, ‘Good, we’re gonna stop chemo, we’ll start you on immunotherapy. I lost about 12 pounds in a week. And my numbers went sky high, much higher than they were when I was first diagnosed. So, the doctors have decided that I have to undergo chemo again and that’s what I’m doing.”

The 79-year-old host, who’s been the face of Jeopardy! for 35 years, is currently contracted until 2022. Trebek explained further to Holmes that he finds himself “teary eyed for no reason” while speaking to his audience while reflecting upon his health, but he’s determined to conquer round two of chemo.

Watch Trebek’s full appearance on GMA below.

Alex Trebek revealed earlier in the week that he was once again undergoing chemotherapy, which is worrying news for Jeopardy! fans to say the least. He was healthy enough to film Season 36 of the show, which is airing now after a summer of reruns, but revealed on Good Morning America that he will need additional chemotherapy for his pancreatic cancer, which he made public earlier this year.

If there’s any name as synonymous with Jeopardy! as of late it’s James Holzhauer, who smashed a number of Jeopardy! records while winning more than $2 million on the show over 32 games. Holzhauer was on the show recording episodes for his historic run of wins when Trebek made public that he would undergo chemotherapy for his cancer. He also described in an interview with Good Morning America just how difficult that was to then play on a trivia game show after hearing the scary news. He called it a “gut-punch” in the interview, via AOL.com.

“Oh gosh, it was such a gut-punch to everyone in that room,” Holzhauer told Good Morning America. “It was really hard to get psyched up to play some Jeopardy! 10 minutes later after we hear this.”

Trebek’s return to Season 36 was great news for anyone who’s watched the show. And this season also brings back Holzhauer for the show’s Tournament of Champions. Holzhauer said it was great to be back, obviously, but to also see Trebek back in control of the legendary trivia show.

“It’s great to see him out here again. He’s such a consummate professional,” Holzhauer said. “It’s like nothing’s ever changed.”

Jeopardy! has already had some interesting moments in Season 36, but the health of its legendary host, Alex Trebek, has been on the minds of fans as the season progresses. Trebek is hosting the trivia show despite his ongoing battle with pancreatic cancer, which he announced earlier in the year and went through a round of chemotherapy to fight.

Fans were thrilled when Trebek was able to return for Season 36, but he also announced that he would need another round of treatment to fight his cancer. Notable contestants like James Holzhauer described what a gut punch it was to learn that Trebek’s health problems continued, which is why any news of his condition is notable. And in a recent interview, Trebek said his battle with pancreatic cancer continues.

Trebek spoke with CTV’s Lisa LaFlamme at his alma mater, the University of Ottawa, where he was asked about his condition.

[via Fox6Now]

“I’m hanging in,” said Trebek. “So we’re back on the chemo, and we’ll see if the numbers go down, and if they do, they can’t keep doing it forever, of course. I’ll have to find a new protocol or whatever to administer. We’ll play it by ear and keep chugging along until we either win or lose.”

Trebek described the effects of chemotherapy on him, which by now he says he has down. But it’s all pretty harrowing considering that he continues to work and appear on television while he deals with the devastating effects the treatment has on the human body.

“Well, in some ways, it’s easier because now, I know the day after chemo, my eyesight gets messed up a little, and the next day after that, I start getting pains in my joints,” said Trebek.

Jeopardy! is synonymous with Trebek, so knowing his struggle as the show airs is tough. But he continues to seem in good spirits about the whole thing, which is good. Stage IV cancer is always scary, but Trebek’s got plenty of support in his fight.

Alex Trebek has said he’s “hanging in” there after a second round of chemotherapy for his pancreatic cancer, but the Jeopardy! host is also knows there’s a very real chance the diagnosis ends his time on the show.

Trebek, who is currently on the air as Season 36 of the syndicated show continues, spoke with CTV’s Lisa LaFlamme about his condition as he battles Stage IV pancreatic cancer. The interview took place at the University of Ottawa, his alma mater, and while he remained optimistic about his diagnosis and treatment, he did discuss at length the impact chemotherapy has had on his body, including his ability to speak while Jeopardy! host.

Via CNN:

Trebek told CTV he has begun to get sores inside his mouth from the chemotherapy, which makes it difficult to enunciate. He sometimes hears himself slurring his words on the quiz show, he said.

“I will keep doing it (the show) as long as my skills do not diminish, and they have started to diminish,” he told CTV’s Lisa LaFlamme in an interview Friday.

One of the more heartbreaking portions of the interview was when Trebek revealed that he now regrets being so public about his diagnosis because of the mental toll it’s taken on him. It’s a sad reality, but Trebek said that so many people have reached out and shared their own stories, and the impact on his mental health has been tough while he’s dealing with his own setbacks and health issues.

“I don’t know if I’m strong enough or intelligent enough to help alleviate some of that despair, so it’s tough on me,” he said.

But Trebek is facing his diagnosis head on, saying he is not afraid of death.

“The thought of the pancreatic cancer does not frighten me,” he told LaFlamme. “I’m 79 years old. So, hey, I’ve lived a good life, a full life, and I’m nearing the end of that life. I know that.”

Trebek has thanked his supporters again and again since he revealed the diagnosis earlier in the year, so he’s far from ungrateful for all the kind words. But it’s clear he’s being frank when asked about his cancer battle, one that’s playing out in a very public way. Hopefully he recovers enough to continue living as comfortable a life as possible, regardless of whether he continues to host Jeopardy! or not.

[via CNN]

James Holzhauer is perhaps the biggest name in Jeopardy! that’s not Alex Trebek right now. The record-smashing Jeopardy! contestant took the game show world by storm earlier in 2019, and his return for the upcoming Tournament of Champions is the biggest buzz the show has gotten in some time. The other news that ran concurrent to that, unfortunately, is the pancreatic cancer diagnosis of Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek.

Holzhauer himself will joke that game show scandals a few decades ago mean that Holzhauer and Trebek can’t exactly be best friends, but they have had a warm relationship both on and off the show. Holzhauer, for example, made a large donation in Trebek’s honor to a pancreatic cancer research walk earlier in the year.

“I felt like I had to do something in Alex’s honor, and it was a great opportunity to show my hometown some love,” Holzhauer said according to the Las Vegas Journal Review.. “I was definitely surprised when that donation went viral.”

The interview centered around the health of Trebek, who last week detailed how a second round of chemotherapy for his Stage IV pancreatic cancer has impacted his health and possibly his ability to host the show. That’s tough to hear for Holzhauer, who called the news that he needed another round of chemo a “gut punch” earlier this year.

“I’m not sure I can give you a more poignant reaction than ‘this really sucks,’” Holzhauer told the Review-Journal on Wednesday in an email. “It’s basically the same thing I felt when I first heard the news of his cancer diagnosis in the ‘Jeopardy’ green room.

“I will say that during the ToC taping, Alex’s voice and delivery sounded as good as ever.”

Holzhauer called Trebek a trouper, noting, “I’m sure it’s getting more and more difficult for him to keep showing up to work …”

He told the Vegas paper that Trebek’s uncertain future on the show is tough to take.

“Whatever happens from here, I’m glad I had the opportunity to be on the show with Alex,” Holzhauer wrote. “I can’t imagine ‘Jeopardy’ without him.”

That’s a sentiment a lot of Jeopardy! viewers certainly agree with, and hopefully there’s more good news for Trebek on the horizon. For now, he continues to host the show through Season 36, including Holzhauer’s return to the Jeopardy! stage in November.

Alex Trebek may have talked about leaving Jeopardy! but there are apparently no real plans for that happening anytime soon. The longtime host of the game show is battling Stage IV pancreatic cancer, which he announced earlier in the year and has required two stretches of chemotherapy to fight in the subsequent months.

Earlier in October, there were concerns that Trebek may actually have to leave the show production after he made comments about his struggles with chemo, but apparently those were a bit premature. The initial concern stemmed from an interview Trebek gave to Canadian television earlier in the month where he admitted he’s struggled with the side effects of a second round of chemotherapy treatments that were necessary over the summer. Trebek cited sores in his mouth that he noticed made him pronounce words differently than normal. In the interview, he admitted that cancer may end his career on Jeopardy! earlier than he’d like, and he was frank about dealing with his own mortality.

But according to a TMZ report, the comments were more hypercritical than actually based in a reality where he’s seriously considering retirement. A source for the news outlet refuted the notion that Trebek was seriously considering retirement.

The source said Trebek is simply critical of his work, but that even the slight mistakes weren’t enough for him to seriously consider leaving Jeopardy!

As for his comments about the mouth sores making it difficult to speak, our production sources tell us Alex is hypercritical of his performance on the show, and little missteps that are common on other shows bother him. But, if he misspeaks or has trouble with a sentence, a simple re-shoot of the line is all that’s needed.

One important note is that the show is filmed well in advance, so even if Trebek were to take some time off, audiences at home wouldn’t see the results of that until late in 2019 at the earliest.

“Jeopardy!” production sources tell us the show is taped 2.5 months in advance, and as of now, they have shows well into December. So, if Alex is under the weather and misses a few tapings, it won’t send the show into freefall.

What that likely means is that Trebek’s reunion with foil James Holzhauer is already in the can, which is good news for everyone. Hopefully, Trebek’s health continues to improve and we won’t have to wonder about his status as host. Like Holzhauer said, it’s hard to imagine the show without him.

[via TMZ]