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a14 people & arts
Monday 9 noveMber 2020

Alex Trebek, long-running 'Jeopardy!' host, dies at 80

By LYNN ELBER You have the security of a
AP Television Writer familiar environment, a fa-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alex miliar format, but you have
Trebek, who presided over the excitement of new
the beloved quiz show clues and new contestants
"Jeopardy!" for more than on every program. You
30 years with dapper charm can't beat that!"
and a touch of schoolmas- "I'm introduced as the host
ter strictness, died Sunday. of 'Jeopardy!', not the star,"
He was 80. he said in a 2012 interview.
Trebek, who announced "My job is to provide the at-
in 2019 that he had ad- mosphere and assistance
vanced pancreatic can- to the contestants to get
cer, died at his Los Angeles them to perform at their
home, surrounded by fam- very best," he explained.
ily and friends, "Jeopardy!" "And if I'm successful doing
studio Sony said. that, I will be perceived as
The Canadian-born host, a nice guy and the audi-
who made a point of in- ence will think of me as be-
forming fans about his ing a bit of a star."
health directly, spoke in a "But not if I try to steal the
calm, even tone as he re- limelight! The stars of `Jeop-
vealed his illness and hope ardy!' are the material and
for a cure in a video posted the contestants," he said.
March 6, 2019. In a January 2019 interview
In the video, Trebek said he This May 5, 2019, file photo shows Alex Trebek gestures while presenting an award at the 46th with The Associated Press,
was joining the 50,000 other annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Pasadena, Calif. Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek died Sunday, Nov. Trebek discussed his deci-
Americans who receive 8, 2020, after battling pancreatic cancer for nearly two years. sion to keep going with
such a diagnosis each year Associated Press "Jeopardy!"
and that he recognized never be replaced in our close enough to be count- 1990s, he was the host of "It's not as if I'm overworked
that the prognosis was not hearts, Alex," James Hol- ed as correct. three — "Jeopardy!", "To Tell — we tape 46 days a
encouraging. zhauer, another "Jeopar- "I try not to take myself too the Truth" and "Classic Con- year," he said. But he ac-
But Trebek said he intend- dy!" star, posted on Twitter. seriously," he told an inter- centration." knowledged he would re-
ed to fight it and keep John Legend tweeted viewer in 2004. "I don't want "Jeopardy!" made him fa- tire someday, if he lost his
working, even joking that that he was "obsessed with to come off as a pomp- mous. He won five Emmys edge or the job was no
he needed to beat the dis- Jeopardy as a nerdy kid ous ass and indicate that as its host, including one longer fun, adding: "And
ease because his "Jeopar- growing up in Ohio. I've I know everything when I last June, and received it's still fun."
dy!" contract ran for three loved and revered Alex don't." stars on both the Holly- Born July 22, 1940, in Sud-
more years. Less than a Trebek since I can remem- The show was the brain- wood and Canadian walks bury, Ontario, Canada,
week later, he opened ber. What an iconic ca- storm of Julann Griffin, wife of fame. In 2012, the show Trebek was sent off to
the show with a message reer." of the late talk show host- won a prestigious Peabody boarding school by his
acknowledging the out- "Jeopardy!" bills itself as entrepreneur Merv Griffin, Award. Ukrainian father and
pouring of kind words and "America's favorite quiz who said she suggested to He taped his daily "Jeop- French-Canadian mother
prayers he'd received. show" and captivated the him one day that he cre- ardy!" shows at a frenetic when he was barely in his
"Thanks to the — believe it public with a unique format ate a game show where pace, recording as many teens. After graduating
or not — hundreds of thou- in which contestants were people were given the an- as 10 episodes (two weeks' high school, he spent a
sands of people who have told the answers and had swers. worth) in just two days. Af- summer in Cincinnati to be
sent in tweets, texts, emails, to provide the questions "Jeopardy!" debuted on ter what was described as close to a girlfriend, then
cards and letters wishing on a variety of subjects, in- NBC in 1964 with Art Flem- a mild heart attack in 2007, returned to Canada to at-
me well," Trebek said. "I'm a cluding movies, politics, his- ing as emcee and was an he was back at work in just tend college. After earn-
lucky guy." tory and popular culture. immediate hit. It lasted until a month. ing a philosophy degree
Messages of grief and re- They would answer by say- 1975, then was revived in He posted a video in Janu- from the University of Ot-
spect from former contes- ing "What is ... ?" or "Who is syndication with Trebek. ary 2018 announcing he'd tawa, he went to work for
tants, celebrities and the .... ?" Long identified by a full undergone surgery for the Canadian Broadcast-
wider public quickly fol- Trebek, who became its head of hair and trim mus- blood clots on the brain ing Co., starting as a staff
lowed news of his loss. host in 1984, was a master tache (though in 2001 he that followed a fall he'd announcer and eventually
"Alex wasn't just the best of the format, engaging in startled viewers by shav- taken. The show was on becoming a radio and TV
ever at what he did. He was friendly banter with con- ing his mustache, "com- hiatus during his recovery. reporter.q
also a lovely and deeply testants, appearing genu- pletely on a whim"), Trebek It had yet to bring in a sub-
decent man, and I'm grate- inely pleased when they was more than qualified stitute host for Trebek — Solution Sudoku
ful for every minute I got to answered correctly and, for the job, having started save once, when he and
spend with him," tweeted at the same time, moving his game show career on "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat
"Jeopardy!" champion Ken the game along in a brisk "Reach for the Top" in his Sajak swapped their TV jobs
Jennings. "Thinking today no-nonsense fashion when- native country. as an April's Fool prank.
about his family and his ever people struggled for Moving to the U.S. in 1973, In 2012, Trebek acknowl-
Jeopardy! family — which, answers. he appeared on "The Wiz- edged that he was consid-
in a way, included millions He never pretended to ard of Odds," "High Rollers," ering retirement, but had
of us." "It was one of the know the answers himself "The $128,000 Question" been urged by friends to
great privileges of my life to if he really didn't, deferring and "Double Dare." Even stay on so he could reach
spend time with this coura- to the show's experts to de- during his run on "Jeop- 30 years on the show. He
geous man while he fought cide whether a somewhat ardy!", Trebek worked on still loved the job, he de-
the battle of his life. You will vague answer had come other shows. In the early clared: "What's not to love? Puzzle on Page 13