Who is… Alex Trebek.

You could approach any stranger on the street and ask him what Jeopardy is, and chances are he’d give you a fond smile and answer. Very occasionally are there programs that are known by so many, and it could be nationally agreed upon that part of the show’s draw is due to its long-time host, Alex Trebek. Throughout the show’s 56-year-run, Trebek has been the show’s main host for the past 36. The Canadian-American entertainer had cemented himself as a necessity. To many, Jeopardy was Alex Trebek. 

Trebek lost his 2-year battle with pancreatic cancer on November 8, prompting an immense worldwide response and an outpouring of grief, with many sharing their many beloved memories of the host on social media. His wife, Jean, has expressed her appreciation for the incredible public response. Producer Mike Richards relayed the news of Trebek’s passing at the beginning of Jeopardy’s November 9 episode.

There were many notable high points in his life. Throughout his career, Trebek earned multiple academy awards for his work on Jeopardy, the most recent being 2020’s Academy Icon Award. He ran the Olympic torch in Atlanta in 1996, and even appeared in an episode of The X-Files earlier that year. Besides Jeopardy, Trebek worked on a number of other game shows, including Double Dare, Battlestars, and To Tell the Truth. Alex was very passionate about his work; he moved from his home country of Canada to the United States in 1973 specifically to pursue a career in hosting at NBC.

Jeopardy viewers are waiting eagerly to find out who will step up and take Trebek’s place as the show’s main host. A plethora of well-known celebrities and TV personalities have been proposed, inclduing CNN host Anderson Cooper, actor LaVar Burton, and famous Jeopardy contestant Ken Jennings. As the last of Trebek’s recorded shows are aired, avid fans will wait with bated breath to find out who the new host will be.

Trebek had three children, a daughter, Nicky, who he adopted with his first wife, as well as a son and daughter, Matthew and Emily, with his second wife. The momentous public reaction to this loss has proved that Trebek will be greatly missed.