Jeopardy! Says Support for Alex Trebek After Cancer Diagnosis Is ‘Humbling and Overwhelming’
Two days after Alex Trebek revealed he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer, Jeopardy! is thanking fans for kind messages about the 78-year-old host.
The official Jeopardy! Twitter account shared their appreciation, saying, “The outpouring of good wishes and support in response to Alex’s recent health news has been humbling and overwhelming.”
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“Please know that your messages are being conveyed to him and are deeply appreciated,” the tweet continued. “From everyone at Jeopardy! – thank you.”
Trebek, who has hosted the game show since 1984, has received support from fans and fellow celebrities, including his longtime friend and Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak.
“The Sajak family is deeply saddened to hear of Alex Trebek’s struggle with cancer. Our hearts go out to him and his family,” Sajak, whose program currently follows Trebek’s on television, wrote on Twitter.
“But there is no one I know who is stronger and more determined, and I would never bet against him,” added Sajak, 72. “We, and the entire country, are pulling for you, Alex.”
Chris Harrison, Meghan McCain, and Disney CEO Bob Iger also wished Trebek well.
The game-show host first revealed his diagnosis in a video message on Wednesday, saying, “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 fanbase. I also wanted to prevent you from reading or hearing some overblown or inaccurate reports regarding my health.”
He continued, “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.”
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The host vowed to courageously “fight” the disease and continue on Jeopardy!
“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 continued.
He also asked his fans to pray for his recovery.
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“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,” continued Trebek.
He shares two children — Matthew, 29, a restaurateur in Manhattan who owns Oso (a popular Mexican restaurant in North Harlem), and Emily, 27, who works in real estate in Los Angeles — with his wife of 29 years, Jean Currivan. He also has an older daughter Nicky, 53, whom he adopted when he was married to Nicky’s mom, his first wife Elaine Callei. She’s a production coordinator on Jeopardy! and a singer-songwriter.
Despite the grave diagnosis, Trebek quipped that he must continue working because of the terms of his contract through the 2021-22 season.
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“Truth told, I have to because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years!” he joked. “So help me!”
“Keep the faith and we’ll win,” he concluded, “We’ll get it done. Thank you.”
