Alex Trebek Won’t Be Stepping Down As 'Jeopardy!' Host

Oct 15, 2019 by apost team

Alex Trebek is not showing any signs of slowing down. The Jeopardy! host revealed that he is not stepping down from the TV show even as his chemotherapy treatment continues. The 79-year-old admitted in March of this year that he was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. 

Trebek got candid about the physical effects chemotherapy has had on the game-show host while performing. “I talk to the producers about this all the time now,” Trebek said. “Look I’m slurring my words, my tongue doesn’t work as well as it used to, the chemo has caused sores inside my mouth it makes it for me to speak and enunciate properly.” Trebek has a contract to stay on the show until 2020, however, he told CTV, 

"I will keep doing it as long as my skills do not diminish, and they have started to diminish,"  he admitted.

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However, recently, TMZ was told by production sources from Jeopardy! that Trebek stepping down from the show is not on the horizon. The sources informed the publication that the show is taped almost three months in advance leaving room for Trebek to miss a few tapings if he feels too unwell. According to the source Trebek tapes twice a week and hasn’t missed a taping in 35 years.

Over the summer, Trebek said his treatment was going well. He had told People, “The doctors said they hadn’t seen this kind of positive result in their memory…some of the tumors have already shrunk by more than 50 percent.” It was fantastic news for a diagnosis of a form of cancer that has a 9% survival rate.

Trebek sat down with Good Morning America to talk about how his numbers started to go south dramatically. “I was doing so well my numbers went down to the equivalent of a normal human being who doesn’t have pancreatic cancer.” However, after stopping chemo and beginning immunotherapy the Trebek’s disease began to worsen.  

Trebek says he will continue chemotherapy and also refuses to quit his job. “As long as I can walk out and greet the audience and the contestants and run the game, I’m happy,” he says.

What do you think about Trebek hosting through his battle amid cancer? Tell us your thoughts in the comments and be sure to pass this article along to your friends and family to see what they think.