Jeopardy fans learned some troubling news earlier this year when longtime host Alex Trebek announced that he'd been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which is statistically very hard to beat. While Trebek was forthright about the challenges he was facing, there were definitely questions about whether or not he'd have to at least leave Jeopardy to focus on treatment.
Well, it turns out that's not the case, as Alex Trebek is back at Jeopardy to kick off Season 36, and he shared this about his health:
It’s another day at the office for me, and an exciting day because so many great things have been happening... I’ve gone through a lot of chemotherapy, and thankfully that is now over. I’m on the mend, and that’s all I can hope for right now. We have 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.
Alex Trebek understandably didn't go into detail about what he endured during his chemotherapy while hyping an exciting time at Jeopardy, but his reveal that his chemotherapy is "now over" should come as a relief to fans (and supporters like Ken Jennings, who penned a lovely tribute to Trebek) everywhere. Although he didn't say that he was 100% in the clear when it comes to the pancreatic cancer, "on the mend" is quite promising, and he seems to have the best attitude about what he went through.
While he was undergoing treatment, Alex Trebek did open up about some of what he was dealing with back in May. He shared that he was suddenly dealing with "deep, deep sadness" that would bring tears to his eyes. He elaborated that he felt "so weak all the time," but he also stated that he would hopefully be back on the air in September with original programming. He was on the money with that one!
The Jeopardy host didn't show that sadness when he made public statements, though. His acceptance speech for his 2019 Daytime Emmy was perfect and darkly comedic. He'd won the award six times, with 28 nominations, and he said in his speech that he was worried that "sympathy might play a big role in the voting this year," and he believes everybody should be judged on the merits of their work. Then he amusingly noted that he didn't win an Emmy after dealing with surgery to remove "two life-threatening blood clots" on his brain.
Check out the full video of Alex Trebek sharing news of the end of his chemotherapy and some of what's to come in Jeopardy Season 36:
Season 35 was an exciting time for Jeopardy, largely thanks to James Holzhauer. Not only were there some new kinds of thrills for regular viewers to watch, but the ratings experienced a surge as casual viewers began to tune in more and more. Will Jeopardy be as exciting in Season 36?
Find out when episodes air on weeknights, with the wonderful Alex Trebek where he belongs: at the helm. For some primetime viewing options now and in the coming weeks, be sure to swing by our 2019 fall TV premiere schedule.
