JEOPARDY! Host Alex Trebek Dies at 80

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that Alex Trebek, longstanding host of the game show JEOPARDY! has died at age 80.

While his cause of death was not immediately revealed, Trebek announced in March 2019 that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Trebek was the host of JEOPARDY! since the show's debut in 1984. He has become one of television's most enduring and iconic figures, engaging millions of viewers worldwide with his impeccable delivery of "answers and questions."

In June 2020, Trebek won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host, bringing his total to seven; he also has a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He has been honored with a Guinness World Record for Most Game Show Episodes Hosted by the Same Presenter: he has hosted more than 8,000 episodes of JEOPARDY!

In 2013, he was named a member of the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, and in 2018, he and JEOPARDY! were inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Trebek and JEOPARDY! received a 2011 Peabody Award for "encouraging, celebrating and rewarding knowledge."

Trebek published a best-selling book in July 2020, "The Answer Is...: Reflections on My Life." He will donate all his proceeds from the book to charity.

Below, read some quotes from some of Trebek's friends and colleagues regarding his passing:

"The entire Daytime community is in mourning over the loss of our friend, the icon, Alex Trebek. Ever a champion of excellence, he was always an energetic celebrant at the Daytime Emmys, bringing his sharp wit and rich humor to his own acceptance speeches and his tributes to others. A lifetime achievement Emmy winner, and onetime host of our Technology Emmys, he was committed to elevating our craft and our industry. We miss him terribly." - Adam Sharp (President/CEO NATAS)

"I have lost one of my dearest friends. Little did I expect this as he was still laughing with me a day ago. Alex was without a doubt one of the funniest people God put on this earth." - Ruta Lee (Co-Host High Rollers)

"Alex was multi-talented... He could fix anything in the house, and often added additions to their home. He knew the wiring of a house and he knew the wiring of people. He was as comfortable re-doing a bathroom as he was phrasing questions to the contestants on the show. He was a great husband to Jean, a wonderful father to Matt and Emily, and we were lucky enough to be one of his few close friends. Eighty years seems like a long life, but Alex should have lived to a hundred. He deserved a century. We are all so grateful to have had him in our lives." - Peter Marshall (Host/Hollywood Squares)

"Alex was the Sinatra of our business. The word class defined him. In my view, there will never be another with such multiple talents." -Wink Martindale (Host/ The New Tic Tac Dough)

"Alex was one of the sweetest, kindest most giving people one could ever know. I remember doing interview shows with him as well as the first Celebrity Jeopardy. And whenever I would see him at an Event or a Gala or a Dinner, he was always warm and funny and loving. The world is a better place for him being in it. I will miss him." -Donna Mills (Actress/Knots Landiing)

"There was never a day that Alex Trebek was not invited into our living room to bring us the joy of Jeopardy . He felt like part of the family. We will miss you, Oh wise one!" -Dee Wallace (Actress/ET: The Extraterrestrial)

"Personally off-camera, he was such an outgoing, funny guy and on-camera, professionally, nobody did the job better than Alex. Ours is a painful loss." - Loretta Swit (Actress / M.A.S.H.)

"Years ago I hosted a kids version of JEOPARDY! called Jep! for Game Show Network. I almost turned the job down as I feared I could not come close to the genius that was Alex Trebek. I was right. Answer: In the world of game shows he was the best of the best. Question: Who was Alex Trebek? RIP Mr. Trebek. I met Mr. Trebek twice. Once when he came to one of my tapings and a second time at The Daytime Emmys last year, where we took this picture. I asked him for advice when I met him at Sony while taping Jep!. His advice: The star of the show is the game, not the host and not even the contestants or winner. Also, the show isn't live. If you make a mistake you can reshoot.
I made tons. My guess is he made very few. " - Bob Bergen (Voice of Porky Pig)

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