Jeopardy, an American trivia game show that nearly everyone knows about. The participants have to fight against each other in different categories and levels. One of the respondents begins by selecting a category. For choosing a particular level, they get a specific amount of money. When they answer right, they are awarded a certain amount of money, ranging from $200-$400 to $800-$1000. The wrong answer means the loss of money.

On November 8th, 2020, Alex Trebek, the host of this show for years, tragically passed away at the age of 80. Beloved by many Americans, Trebek became a staple of pop culture and is regarded as one of the best game show hosts of all time.

In Sudbury, Canada, Alex Trebek was born on July 22, 1940. Until the age of twelve, he 

went to Jesuit Schools. Trebek went on to attend the University of Ottawa High School. In 1957, he graduated from high school and started to study philosophy at the University of Ottawa. In 1961, Trebek graduated and decided to change his occupation to journalism, and became a fill-in reporter and newscaster with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Around this time, Trebek became interested in game shows, so in 1966 Trebek became a host for “Reach For The Top,” a high school quiz show. He went on to host “Hockey Night in Canada” in 1971, but ultimately switched his profession again in 1973 and dove back into the realm of game shows. Trebek then switched to a more notable television game show “Jackpot,”, a show about solving riddles in order to win cash and prices, in 1970. Alex Trebek left Canada in 1973 to go to Hollywood and become a television star. He was able to secure a job as the host of the show “The Wizard of Odds”. After a few stints with other shows, Trebek moved on to the now infamous Jeopardy. The show reshot its pilot episode and it landed greatly, as Trebek gained American fame and went on to host the show for 36 years. He has received a variety of awards, such as the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host, Television Critics Association Lifetime Achievement Award and Academy Icon Award.

During his famed career, Trebek was able to start a family. Trebek married Elaine Callei in 1974, but after seven years, they divorced. In 1990, he married Jean Currivan and they had two children together, Emily and Matthew.

In March 2019, Trebek announced that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. For almost a year and a half, Trebek was able to fight this cancer and was able to miraculously keep hosting the show. Sadly, on November 8, 2020, Alex Trebek passed away at his home, at the age of 80. In his life, Alex recorded over 8000 episodes in over 35 years on Jeopardy.

On Christmas Day this year, the last episode featuring the beloved host will air. This episode was recorded on October 29, just one week before his death. In this episode, Trebek gives an emotional speech about togetherness and family. “We were all emotional, we were all in tears and we all started clapping and it almost distracted him”, reports executive producer Mike Richards (Interview Executive producer).

There remains several burning questions about the show itself. How will Jeopardy continue? Will there be a replacement for Trebek? Are there any candidates for the new host? Lots of people say that no one can replace Alex Trebek. Many cannot imagine watching the show without him. Recently, there have been rumors of possible candidates including George Stephanopoulos, an ABC anchor and political correspondent, and Betty White, who was nominated by Alex Trebek and Ken Jennings, the highest-earning American game show contestant of all time. Nothing is certain and nothing is final, but the legacy that Alex Trebek left will come to serve as one of the best game show hosts the world has witnessed. 

The Carillon on Parliament Hill plays the theme from Jeopardy! in honour of Alex Trebek 

Description on official Jeopardy website

Jeopardy Game about Jeopardy Trivia