Longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek announced today that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Trebek, 78, has hosted the iconic quiz show since it debuted in 1984. He made the announcement in a video to fans on Wednesday. He said that the cancer has a “low survival rate” but that he intends to beat it.
In the video, he said the following:
“Hi everyone, I have some news to share with all of you and it’s in keeping with my longtime policy of being open and transparent with our Jeopardy! fan base. I also wanted to prevent you from reading or hearing some overblown or inaccurate reports regarding my health. So therefore, I wanted to be the one to pass along this information.
Now, just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. 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. Truth told, I have to! Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years! So help me. Keep the faith and we’ll win. We’ll get it done. Thank you.”
Trebek, who is married and has two adult children, has won numerous awards for his work on the show, including five Daytime Emmys and a Peabody Award, according to his biography on the show’s website. He has hosted nearly 8,000 episodes of the show, making him the Guinness World Records record-holder for Most Game Show Episodes Hosted by the Same Presenter.
The family of Pat Sajak, the longtime host of the similarly iconic game show Wheel of Fortune, released a statement on Twitter.
“The Sajak family is deeply saddened to hear of Alex Trebek’s struggle with cancer,” the statement said. “Our hearts go out to him and his family. But there is no one I know who is stronger and more determined, and I would never bet against him. We, and the entire country, are pulling for you, Alex.”
