Good news for Jeopardy! fans: host Alex Trebek has returned to work following his cancer treatment. Trebek has been with the long-running quiz show since 1984, when it switched to a daily syndicated format. Since then, he's become a household name, with fans who tune in frequently considering him a regular part of their day. For his work on the show, Trebek has won six Outstanding Game Show Host Emmys. He also holds the Guinness World Record for "most game show episodes hosted by the same presenter." At 79, Trebek's current contract has him hosting Jeopardy! through 2022.
The beloved host shocked fans earlier this year by announcing his stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis from the set of Jeopardy! In the video, he spoke frankly about his illness and his plans to beat it, stating, "Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working." Soon after, reports surfaced that, in light of Trebek's diagnosis, there were plans to search for a potential replacement host. However, in May, Trebek appeared on Good Morning America to reveal that his cancer was miraculously close to remission.
Trebek now has even more good news to share, revealing that he's back working on Jeopardy!'s upcoming season 36. In a video, he shares that, "I'm on the mend, and that's all I can hope for right now." The host goes on to say, "We've got some exciting things coming up, and I can't wait to share them with all of you. Let me tell you, it's going to be a good year." Production on the new season began over a month ago. It's set to premiere September 9.
Jeopardy! made news recently for a happier reason as well, when contestant James Holzhauer won an impressive 32 games in a row last season. He beat numerous records during his run, including money won in a single game, topping the previous record of $77,000 a total of 16 times. The new record established by Holzhauer is $131,127. Following his time on Jeopardy!, he made a donation to the Naperville Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk in Trebek's name. The show also announced back in July that Holzhauer will return for this November's Tournament of Champions.
Though Trebek won't be around to host the show forever, fans should be relieved to hear that he's back at work and on the mend. With so many decades on air, Trebek is synonymous with Jeopardy! It's hard to imagine the show without him, which is why even people who watch occasionally consider Trebek to be a beloved pop culture figure. Jeopardy! will likely continue after his retirement, but he deserves a goodbye on his own terms after so long with the show. Here's hoping that Trebek's around not only until 2022 but continues to host Jeopardy! for years to come.
Source: Jeopardy!