Alex Trebek, the longtime host of Jeopardy! has died early Sunday morning at age of 80 early Sunday morning at his home in Los Angeles.
He had been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer On March 6, 2019. he lost his hair during cancer treatments and wore a hairpiece on the air. his last day in the studio was Oct. 29, which will air through Dec. 25.
Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends. Thank you, Alex. pic.twitter.com/Yk2a90CHIM
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) November 8, 2020
He collected seven Daytime Emmys from 34 nominations and a Peabody Award for his work on the show.
George Alexander Trebek was born on July 22, 1940, in Sudbury, Ontario, the older of two children. His father, also named George, worked as a chef in a hotel, and his mother, Lucille, was a housewife.
In September 2019, Trebek told Good Morning America that he wasn’t afraid of death.
“I realize that there is an end in sight for me, just as there is for everyone else,” he said. “One line that I have used with our staff in recent weeks and months is that when I do pass on, one thing they will not say at my funeral is, ‘Oh, he was taken from us too soon.’ Hey, guys. I’m 79 years old.
“I’ve had one hell of a good life. And I’ve enjoyed it … the thought of passing on doesn’t frighten me, it doesn’t. Other things do, the effect it will have on my loved ones … it makes me sad. But the thought of myself moving on, hey folks, it comes with the territory.”
“Today we lost a legend and a beloved member of the Sony Pictures family,” Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman Tony Vinciquerra said. “For 37 amazing years, Alex was that comforting voice, that moment of escape and entertainment at the end of a long, hard day for millions of people around the world.”