Long time Jeopardy! host, Alex Trebek, who is currently battling pancreatic cancer, revealed he has already planned and rehearsed his goodbye speech for when he permanently exits the show. Trebek revealed back in March in a YouTube video posted to the Jeopardy! channel that he was battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer and even though there have been some declines in his health along the way, one thing fans around the world have connected with is his eternal optimism, particularly in regards to his diagnosis.
Throughout his cancer diagnosis and battle, he has continued in full force to host the show over the past year. With over 35 seasons of the popular trivia show under his belt, it’s really no wonder that Trebek has managed to touch the hearts of many who have watched Jeopardy! over the years. Late last year, contestant Dhruv Gaur showed his admiration for Trebek when, in the final Jeopardy round, Gaur answered the final question with, “What is, we love you, Alex!” This display of affection from an obvious fan left Trebek visibly choked up with emotion as he carried on with the final round.
Recently, in an interview with Michael Strahan for ABC News, the 79-year-old Jeopardy! host revealed he has already planned and rehearsed his final goodbye for his last episode. Staying true to his humble roots, Trebek stated that he is simply going to ask for “30 seconds at the end” as that’s all he wants. He maps out that he will say his goodbyes as well as tell people to not ask him who his replacement host will be on Jeopardy! as he has “no say whatsoever,” but hopes that if audiences give the new host the same “love and attention and respect” they’ve shown him over the years, the show will continue to be a success.
Trebek’s wife Jean was also present for part of the interview and Strahan asked if she has ever asked her husband to take a break and “miss a show” throughout his cancer battle. She answered by saying those thoughts have crossed her mind, but she knows how hosting the show “feeds him” and just how much her husband “loves doing Jeopardy!” with such a “close knit” group of people behind the show. She sees that hosting the show helps to give Trebek a “sense of purpose” in this difficult time, so it’s obvious to those who watch the interview she supports his decision to continue on hosting for the time being.
With Jeopardy! being as popular as ever and fans continuing to show their undying support to the beloved long time host, it really is something to see Trebek continue to charge on and fight his courageous battle against cancer with the show’s support. He will continue to be a source of inspiration and hope for people and families around the world in similar situations, which is an amazing legacy to leave upon his upcoming retirement from “America’s Favorite Quiz Show.”
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Source: ABC News
