The world was saddened to learn that beloved Canadian gameshow host and all around great human, Alex Trebek passed away on Sunday, November 8th, 2020. A tweet sent out by the Jeopardy! Twitter account announced that Trebek passed peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends.
The Sudbury, Ontario gameshow host’s charm had been a nightly tradition for millions around the world for a whopping 36 seasons. Every night, families gathered around their screens for 26 minutes of wholesome entertainment. Random answers yelled at the TV turned into welcomed chaos. High-fives and laughter filling the room when contestants either nailed or kiboshed their answers.
Having won six Daytime Emmy® awards for Outstanding Game Show host and a Lifetime Achievement Award, Trebek’s right to be a Canadian legend is obvious. And with more than 8,000 episodes of Jeopardy! under his belt, the host was also honoured with a Guinness World record for Most Game Show Episodes Hosted by the Same Presenter.
It is no surprise that as a result, Trebek tributes have been pouring in since his passing. We’ve rounded up our top five reasons of why Alex Trebek was a true Canadian legend.
1) His love for the game (show)
It was on March 6, 2019 that Trebek revealed he had pancreatic cancer in a special message to his viewers.
“Just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.”
The Jeopardy! host went on to say, “Now, normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this. And I’m going to keep working and with the love and support of my family and friends — and with the help of your prayers also — I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease.”
Trebek’s will to keep doing what he loved inspired his fans and even those who never watched the show, saying he’ll stick with the answer-and-question show “as long as my skills do not diminish.”
Similarly, with the humour that the world loved so much, he added, “I’m going to fight this and I’m going to keep working. Truth be told, I have to, because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years!”
2) We (heart) you, Alex! The world (hearts) you!
It can’t be without mental, physical and emotional challenge being in the public eye, battling with anything that has “stage 4” in its diagnosis. Focusing on the job at hand versus the disease that carries a long term survival rate of months, not years. Trebek did so with class and honesty, and for that and so much more, he was loved.
3) He had that true Canadian class until the end
In an hour long, candid interview with W5’s Lisa Laflemme, Trebek opened up about mortality and his life. “One thing they’re not gonna say at my funeral as a part of a eulogy, ‘He was taken from us too soon.’ I’m 79 years old. So, hey, I’ve lived a good life, a full life, and I’m nearing the end of that life. I know that. I’m not gonna delude myself,” he continues. “If it happens, it happens. And why should I be afraid of it?”
Moreover, the beloved host remained humble as he talked about having some regret about going public about his diagnosis explaining “There is a little too much Alex Trebek out there.” He went on to say, “To be the inspiration for a lot of other people makes me feel good, but it does place some responsibility on me that I don’t feel deserving of,” Trebek said.
In the interview, LaFlamme complimented Trebek’s positivity and dedication to his craft. In response to the recognition, Trebek, true to his humble nature, redirected the attention away from himself and onto those who suffer from illness without the benefits of being in the spotlight. “Yeah, but there are a lot of people out there who have cancers who continue to live their lives and go about their business and do all of that… and they do it without recognition,” Trebek said.
4) He changed lives
The beautiful thing about the world now, is that in the twenty first century, we are all immigrants. And in that transition, some of us had to learn English. Cue, Alex Trebek and Jeopardy!
One contestant tearfully revealed, “I grew up learning English because of you. My grandfather who raised me, I used to sit on his lap and watch this everyday. So, this is a very special moment for me. Thank you very much.”
5) He quietly shared wisdom whoever he went
Upon being asked ‘how he’d like to be remembered’ in a 2019 interview, Trebek said as “Just as a good guy, a nice man. Somebody that you looked at on television on a daily basis and said, ‘Hey, you know what, I like him.’” Even at his celebrity status, being remembered as ‘a nice man’ was what he hoped for.
Continuing his exemplary insight, on accepting the Fordham Founder’s Award with his wife Jean, Trebek said, “If you have compassion in your heart, everything is possible. Peace everywhere is possible.”
And perhaps, one of his most timely quotes, “We seem to be so hard set in what we call our principles, which are not so much our principles but our prejudices. Let’s try to get beyond that.”
A bittersweet moment is set to unfold on Christmas Day later this year. On December 25th, the Jeopardy! era will come to end. The very final episode of our favourite gameshow will air. It was filmed in late October, two weeks before Trebek passed away. No doubt the world will gather around their televisions one final time, tuning in to laugh (and to cry) with their beloved gameshow host and dear friend. It will be an emotional 26 minutes, the last 30 seconds being the hardest. Trebek’s pre-filmed parting words will fill the air at 25:30, perhaps allowing us to say “goodbye”.
Ultimately, Trebek said that he prepared for whatever lied ahead. “We’ll play it by ear and just keep chugging along until we either win or lose,” he said.
In our books, Alex Trebek is and always will be a (final Jeopardy!) winner.
This article touched my heart. Thank you
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