George Alexander Trebek was born on July 22, 1940, inGreater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada,[5][6][7] the son of George Edward Trebek (born Terebeychuk,Ukrainian:Теребейчу́к),[8] a chef who hademigrated from Ukraine as a child (and spent a portion of his formative years in Japan) and Lucille Marie Lagacé (April 14, 1921 – 2016), aFranco-Ontarian.[9][10] Trebek's second nickname, Sai, originated from his father's time in Japan.[9] Trebek had roots inRenfrew County, Ontario, where his maternal grandmother was born inMount St. Patrick nearRenfrew.[11] Trebek grew up in a bilingualFrench-English household.[12] He was almost expelled from boarding school. Shortly afterwards, Trebek attended a military college in Quebec, but dropped out when he was asked to shave his head.[13] Trebek's first job at age 13 was as abellhop at the hotel where his father worked as a chef.[14] Trebek attended Sudbury High School (nowSudbury Secondary School) and then attended theUniversity of Ottawa.[15] He graduated from the University of Ottawa with a degree inphilosophy in 1961.[5][16] While a university student, Trebek was a member of the EnglishDebating Society. At the time, he was interested in a broadcast news career.[17]
Before completing his degree, Trebek began his career in 1961 working for theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation.[5] According to Trebek, "I went to school in the mornings and worked at nights; I did everything, at one time replacing every announcer in every possible job."[18] He would eventually read the CBC national radio news and cover a wide range of special events forCBC Radio andCBC Television, includingcurling[19] andhorse racing.[5]
Trebek's first hosting job was on a Canadian music program calledMusic Hop in 1963.[20] In 1966, he hosted a high schoolquiz show calledReach for the Top.[21] From 1967 to 1970, Trebek was a host for the CBC, introducing classical music programs including performances byGlenn Gould. For one or two seasons, he hosted a weekly skating program. Starting on April 1, 1969, Trebek also hostedStrategy, a weekday afternoon game show.[18] From 1971 until the end of 1972, he hostedI'm Here Til 9, the localmorning drive radio show onCBC Toronto.[22]
In 1971, Trebek was one of several to have been shortlisted to succeedWard Cornell as host ofHockey Night in Canada. Although Trebek was the preferred choice of executive producerRalph Mellanby, based on his audition and other CBC roles, Mellanby stated in 2020 that he ultimately choseDave Hodge instead, because his boss did not want someone with a mustache to hostHockey Night.[23]
Since the second incarnation ofHigh Rollers premiered whileThe $128,000 Question was still airing and taping episodes, Trebek became one of two hosts to emcee shows in both the United States and Canada, joiningJim Perry, who was hostingDefinition andHeadline Hunters in Canada andCard Sharks, which coincidentally premiered the same day asHigh Rollers in 1978 in the United States. Trebek'sfrancophone side was put on display in 1978, in a special bilingual edition ofReach for the Top and its Radio-Canada equivalent,Génies en herbe. In this show, Trebek alternated smoothly between French and English throughout.[28]
Like other hosts of the day, Trebek made several guest appearances as a panelist or player on other shows. One of his guest appearances was on a special week ofNBC'sCard Sharks in 1980.[29] Trebek and several other game show hosts (Allen Ludden,Bill Cullen,Wink Martindale,Jack Clark,Tom Kennedy,Gene Rayburn, andJim Lange) competed in a 3-week-long round-robin tournament for charity.[30] Trebek won the tournament, defeating Cullen in the finals.[31] Trebek also appeared as a celebrity teammate on the NBC game showThe Magnificent Marble Machine in 1975, and theTom Kennedy-hosted NBC word gameTo Say the Least in 1978.[32] Both of those shows were produced by Merrill Heatter-Bob Quigley Productions, which also producedHigh Rollers, the show Trebek was hosting during both of those guest appearances. Trebek also was a contestant onCelebrity Bowling in 1976, teamed withJim McKrell.[33] The duo won their match againstDick Gautier andScatman Crothers.[33]
AfterHigh Rollers was cancelled in 1980, Trebek moved on toBattlestars for NBC. The series debuted in October 1981 and was cancelled in April 1982 after only six months on the air.[34] In September 1981, Trebek took the helm of the syndicatedPitfall, which taped inVancouver and forced him to commute, as Trebek had done while hostingHigh Rollers andThe $128,000 Question in 1978.Pitfall was cancelled after its production company, Catalena Productions, went bankrupt. As a result, Trebek was never paid for that series.[35] After both series ended, he hosted a revival ofBattlestars calledThe New Battlestars that ended after 13 weeks, then shot a series of pilots for other series for producerMerrill Heatter, for whom he had worked hostingHigh Rollers andBattlestars, andMerv Griffin. The Heatter pilots wereMalcolm, an NBC-ordered pilot featuring Trebek with an animated character as his co-host, andLucky Numbers, an attempt at a revival ofHigh Rollers that failed to sell. For Griffin, (who was ultimately encouraged to hire Trebek byLucille Ball)[36] he shot two pilots for a revival ofJeopardy! when original hostArt Fleming (a friend of Trebek's) declined to return to the role owing to creative differences. This revival sold, and Trebek began hosting it in 1984 and remained the host until his death in 2020. His final episode hostingJeopardy! was to air on Christmas Day 2020;[37] however, Sony announced on November 23, 2020, that the air dates of Trebek's final week would be postponed, with episodes scheduled for the week of December 21–25 being postponed to January 4–8, 2021, due to the delay caused by the cancellation of most November production dates and pre-emptions caused by holiday week specials and shorts.[38]
Following Trebek's death, a series of guest hosts filled in for Trebek for the remainder of season 37 ofJeopardy! (his final season).[39][40] On July 27, 2022, it was announced thatMayim Bialik andKen Jennings would succeed Trebek as the permanent hosts ofJeopardy! after alternating in multi-week stints for the remainder of the show's 38th season afterMike Richards (the show's then-executive producer who briefly succeeded Trebek as host of the program) was let go after taping a week's worth of episodes after various controversies came to light.[41][42]
In 1987, while still hostingJeopardy!, Trebek returned to daytime television as host of NBC'sClassic Concentration, his second show forMark Goodson. Trebek hosted both shows simultaneously until September 20, 1991, whenClassic Concentration aired its final first-run episode[43] (NBC would air repeats until 1993). In 1991, he made broadcast history by becoming the first person to host three American game shows at the same time, earning this distinction on February 4, 1991, when Trebek took over fromLynn Swann as host of NBC'sTo Tell the Truth for Goodson-Todman, which Trebek hosted until the end of the series' run on May 31, 1991.[44]
In 1994, Trebek returned to the CBS network for the first time since hostingDouble Dare to host thePillsbury Bake-Off, which he hosted until 1998. Trebek andPat Sajak, host ofWheel of Fortune, traded places on April Fools' Day 1997. Pat Sajak hostedJeopardy! and Trebek hostedWheel of Fortune with Sajak's wife, Lesly, as Trebek's co-host.[45] Sajak andWheel of Fortune co-hostVanna White played contestants at the wheel, with winnings going toward charities. Trebek appeared onCelebrity Poker Showdown in 2005 and came in second place in hisqualifying game, losing toCheryl Hines.[46]
Trebek on the scoreboard of Dodger Stadium in 2014
Trebek made multiple guest appearances on other television shows, ranging fromJimmy Kimmel Live! in 2008 and 2011 toThe Colbert Report series finale.[49][50][51][52] In August 1995, during a return to his broadcast-news roots, Trebek filled in forCharles Gibson for a week onGood Morning America. Trebek was also a guest star in season 3 ofThe X-Files, playing one of two "Men in Black" (human agents charged with the supervision of extraterrestrial lifeforms on Earth, hiding their existence from other humans) oppositeJesse Ventura, in the episode "Jose Chung's From Outer Space", which first aired on April 12, 1996.[53] On June 13, 2014,Guinness World Records presented Trebek with the world record for most episodes of a game show hosted, with 6,829 episodes at the time.[54][1] He has also appeared in multiple television commercials.[49][55]
On October 1, 2018, Trebek moderated the only debate in thePennsylvania governor's race, between DemocratTom Wolf and RepublicanScott Wagner.[56] According to news outlets, he wanted to change the flow of the debate to be more conversational instead of the more traditional format. Trebek dominated the debate and talked for 41% of it,[57] often talking about himself without giving candidates time to discuss their stances on political issues.[58] Trebek also made remarks regarding the sexual abuse scandals in theCatholic Church. He later apologized for his performance, stating that he was "naive" and "misunderstood" the role of a moderator. "I offer my sincere apologies to the people ofPennsylvania, a state I dearly love," Trebek said.[59]
Trebek married broadcasterElaine Callei in 1974.[62] They had no children, although he adopted Callei's daughter Nicky. The couple divorced in 1981.[63] In 1990, Trebek married Jean Currivan, a real estate project manager from New York.[64] They had two children, Matthew and Emily.[65]
On January 30, 2004, Trebek escaped major injury after falling asleep behind the wheel of his pickup truck while driving alone on a rural road in theCentral Coast town ofTempleton, California, returning from a family home inLake Nacimiento.[68][69] The truck sideswiped a string of mailboxes, flew 45 feet (14 m)[70] over an embankment, and came to rest against a utility pole in a ditch. Trebek was not cited for the accident and returned to work tapingJeopardy! four days later.[71][72]
Trebek owned and managed a 700-acre (280 ha) ranch nearPaso Robles inCreston, California, known as Creston Farms, where hebred and trainedthoroughbredracehorses.[67] Trebek's colt, Reba's Gold, is the stakes-winning son ofSlew o' Gold.[73] He sold the operation in 2008, and the property is now an event center called Windfall Farms.[74]
In a 2018 interview withVulture, Trebek said that he was a political moderate and registeredindependent, neither conservative nor liberal, with somelibertarian leanings.[75] Trebek stated that he believed in God as a Christian. During a 2018 gubernatorial debate, Trebek said that he was raised Catholic during his childhood and adolescence.[76][77]
Trebek was a longtime philanthropist and activist. He was active with multiple charities, includingWorld Vision Canada,[78]United Service Organizations[79] and theUnited Negro College Fund.[80] For World Vision, Trebek travelled to many developing countries with World Vision projects, taping reports on the group's efforts on behalf of children around the world.[78] He and theJeopardy! crew became involved with the United Service Organizations in 1995, appearing on several military bases throughout the world, both in an attempt to find contestants and as a morale booster for the troops.[79] While genuinely supportive of the cause throughout his life, Trebek has said that he believes he initially got involved with the UNCF in the 1980s because — due to the afro, mustache, and "very dark tan" that he sported at the time — Trebek was often confused for being a Black man and so was invited to take part in the organization's telethons.[81]
In 2016, Trebek donated $5 million to theUniversity of Ottawa to fund the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue, the objective of which is "to expose students to a wide range of diverse views, through speeches, public panels, events and lectures by University of Ottawa researchers, senior government officials and guests speakers from around the world."[89] His gifts to the university, which at the time totaled $7.5 million, also fund a Distinguished Speaker Series, which has included a presentation by Nobel laureateLeymah Gbowee, introduced by Trebek.[89] In 2017, he funded the Alex Trebek Leadership Award at the University of Ottawa, an annual $10,000 award to asumma cum laude graduate who has also demonstrated community leadership.[90] By October 2020, Trebek's contributions to the University of Ottawa totalled around $10 million.[61]
In March 2020, Trebek donated $100,000 to Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter in Los Angeles, which replaced theSkateland skating rink.[91] It was subsequently named the Trebek Center.[92]
Trebek owned his own wardrobe, consisting of dozens of outfits and hundreds of neckties. In February 2021, Trebek's son, Matthew, donated the wardrobe toThe Doe Fund, in keeping with a statement Trebek had made on his last day of taping.[93]
On December 10, 2007, Trebek experienced a minor heart attack at his home, but returned to work as scheduled in January 2008.[94][95][96] Early in the morning on July 26, 2011, Trebek injured hisAchilles tendon while chasing a burglar who had entered his San Francisco hotel room, requiring six weeks in a cast.[97][98] Trebek experienced another mild heart attack on June 23, 2012,[99] but was able to return to work the following month.[100]
On December 15, 2017, over the winter break ofJeopardy! taping, Trebek was admitted toCedars-Sinai Medical Center after reportedly experiencing complications from a fall in October of that year. The incident resulted in asubdural hematoma.[101] Trebek underwent surgery to remove blood clots from his brain the following day.[102] On January 4, 2018, theverified Twitter account ofJeopardy! announced that Trebek had been suffering from the fall. He required a short medical leave and returned to regular hosting duty in mid-January 2018.[103]
In 2018, while being interviewed byHarvey Levin onFox News, Trebek floated the idea of retirement, saying the odds of his leavingJeopardy! in 2020 were 50/50 "and a little less". Trebek added that he might continue if he is "not making too many mistakes" but would make an "intelligent decision" as to when he should give up the emcee role.[104] In October 2018, Trebek signed a new contract to continue as host through 2022,[4] stating in January 2019 that although he was beginning to slow down due to his age, the show's work schedule, consisting of 46 taping sessions each year, was still manageable.[105]
Trebek (left) withDon McLean (right) in December 2019, nine months after his diagnosis
On March 6, 2019, aged 78, Trebek announced that he had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. Trebek had been experiencing a persistent stomach ache before the diagnosis, but he did not recognize it as a symptom of the disease.[106] In a prepared video announcement of the diagnosis, Trebek noted that his prognosis was poor but stated that he would aggressively fight the cancer in hopes of beating the odds and would continue hostingJeopardy! for as long as he was able, joking that his contract obligated him to do so for three more years.[107] Trebek updated the situation two months later, stating that he was responding exceptionally well to treatment and that some of the tumors had shrunk to half their previously observed size; Trebek credited the prayers and well wishes of his fans for the better-than-usual results and planned to undergo several more rounds ofchemotherapy.[108][109] He finished that round of chemotherapy treatments in time to resume taping of the show in August 2019.[110] Follow-upimmunotherapy was ineffective, and Trebek resumed chemotherapy in September.[111]
On October4, 2019, in an interview withCTV's Chief Anchor and Senior EditorLisa LaFlamme, Trebek said: "I'm not afraid of dying" and "I've lived a good life, a full life, and I'm nearing the end of that life... [I]f it happens, why should I be afraid [of] that?" In the same interview, Trebek noted that sores in his mouth, a side effect from the chemotherapy, were interfering with his ability to speak, noting that "there will come a point when they (fans and producers) will no longer be able to say, 'It's okay.'"[112] In a December 2019 interview withABC News, Trebek stated that he would begin looking at experimental treatments and chemotherapies, and that despite periods of severe pain and depression, he was still in good enough physical condition to handle construction projects.[113] Trebek also stated that he had already prepared an on-air farewell statement before his cancer diagnosis.[113]
In March 2020, Trebek announced that he had survived one year of cancer treatment (noting that the one-year survival rate was 18%) and that, though the chemotherapy treatments were often worse than the cancer symptoms themselves, Trebek was confident that he would survive another year despite a 7% survival rate, saying that ending treatment would be a "betrayal" to his family, supporters, and to the God in whom he had faith along with the many prayers said on his behalf.[114][115] As a precautionary measure,Jeopardy! initially taped episodes without a studio audience, as protection from theCOVID-19 pandemic; Trebek, because of both his age and his condition, was particularly at risk of death from theparticular variant of SARS-CoV-2 circulating.[116] Soon afterward, production of the show was suspended altogether.[117] The show resumed taping in August, in time for the season 37 premiere.[118]
On July 16, 2020, Trebek gave an update regarding his cancer. Trebek said that while he still felt fatigued, the chemotherapy was "paying off." Trebek also stated that he was looking forward to taping again.[119] Five days later, Trebek published his memoir:The Answer Is...: Reflections on My Life.[120][121]
Trebek underwent surgery related to his cancer treatment in October. Trebek returned to the show two weeks after the surgery but was unable to handle his full workload due to pain from the surgery and had to split his usual five-episode taping session over two days; these five episodes would be Trebek's last. He taped his final episode on October 29, 2020, just 10 days before his death.[122] On November 8, Ken Jennings was called in to substitute host for Trebek for what was initially expected to be a temporary replacement while Trebek recovered from the surgery;[123][124] that same day, Trebek died at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 80,[125] after 20 months fighting pancreatic cancer.[125][126] It was the same disease that affected his predecessor and the original host ofJeopardy!Art Fleming, who died a little over 25 years earlier.[127][128][129][130] His death became major headlines around the world, which also led some of theBig Three networks to break their regular programming forspecial report coverage in the United States.[131] Trebek's remains werecremated and his ashes were given to his wife.[132] Trebek's estate wasliquidated in an estate sale in April 2022[133] as his daughter prepared to sell his home inStudio City.[134]
On the November 9, 2020, episode ofJeopardy!,[137][138] as a tribute to Trebek, then-executive producer of bothJeopardy! andWheel of Fortune,Mike Richards, visibly emotional, opened the show with this statement:
I'm Mike Richards, the executive producer ofJeopardy! Over the weekend, we lost our beloved host Alex Trebek. This is an enormous loss for our staff and crew, for his family, and for his millions of fans. He loved this show and everything it stood for. In fact, he taped his final episodes less than two weeks ago. He will forever be an inspiration for his constant desire to learn, his kindness, and for his love of his family. We will air his final 35 episodes as they were shot. That's what he wanted. On behalf of everyone here atJeopardy!, thank you for everything, Alex. This isJeopardy!
The lights on the set then dimmed blue in remembrance. After each posthumous episode in season 37, a screen read, "Dedicated to Alex Trebek. Forever in our hearts. Always our inspiration." On the first anniversary of Trebek's death, which was also the day that the first episode Ken Jennings hosted in season 38 was aired, a different title card read, "Alex Trebek, July 22, 1940 – November 8, 2020. You are missed every day." On the second anniversary of his death, Trebek was honored in a category entitled "Remembering Alex Trebek" during the Jeopardy! Round of the 2022Tournament of Champions special exhibition episode ofJeopardy![139]
Since Trebek's death, various television networks aired their own tributes to him such asMeTV (which played "What Is... Cliff Clavin?" and "Mama on Jeopardy!", two episodes of the classic 1980s sitcomsCheers andMama's Family respectively in whichJeopardy! was a plot device),[140]Buzzr[141] (which aired episodes of shows Trebek guest starred in such asCard Sharks or hosted such asClassic Concentration andTo Tell the Truth in theFremantle library) andGame Show Network[142] (which aired aJeopardy!marathon). On the premiere episode of the rebooted American version ofThe Chase, whereJeopardy! champions James Holzhauer, Brad Rutter, and Ken Jennings were chasers, hostSara Haines paid tribute to Trebek at the start of the show.[143]
Trebek's final episode ofJeopardy! aired on January 8, 2021, concluding with a 90-second tribute to Trebek.[144][145]
On August 19, 2021, theJeopardy! stage was renamed "The Alex Trebek Stage", with his family present at the dedication.[146]
TheUnited States Postal Service honored Trebek with acommemorative stamp honoring both the 60th anniversary of theJeopardy! franchise and Trebek's naturalized American citizenship, with the stamp officially released on July 22, 2024, on what would have been Trebek's 84th birthday.[147]
2014:Delta Air Lines – as himself, seen raising hand after being asked if the passengers have any questions toward the end of a Delta safety video.[197]
On November 4, 2010, Trebek received theRoyal Canadian Geographical Society's gold medal for his contribution to geographic education and the popular study of geography.[213] Previous recipients of this award include the author andanthropologistWade Davis (2009),Peter Gzowski (1997), andMary May Simon (1998).[214] In 2016, Trebek was named the Honorary President of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society;[215] in that capacity, he was present at the opening of the RCGS's new headquarters in 2018.[78]
In 2011, it was announced that Trebek would be one of the recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award at theDaytime Emmy Awards.[216][217] That same year, he received an Honorary Doctorate fromFordham University.[218] Since June 13, 2014, Trebek has held aGuinness World Record for "the most game show episodes hosted by the same presenter (same program)" for having hosted 6,829 episodes ofJeopardy!,[219] overtaking previous record holderBob Barker.[220]On May 4, 2015, Trebek's alma mater, the University of Ottawa, named its alumni hall in his honor, as a benefactor to the university.[221]
On January 7, 2020, Trebek and his wife Jean were awarded the Fordham Founder's Award atFordham University.[226]
In December 2019, Trebek was named the winner of theAcademy of Canadian Cinema and Television's Icon Award for the8th Canadian Screen Awards in 2020.[227] Although the ceremony was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the award was presented to Trebek in a recorded acceptance speech, which the academy released to social media platforms in January 2021 to coincide with the broadcast of Trebek's last episode ofJeopardy![228]
On August 19, 2021, prior to the start ofJeopardy! season 38 taping,Sony Pictures Studios sound stage Studio 10 was officially renamed as "The Alex Trebek Stage".[146]
On September 29, 2022, Trebek was posthumously inducted into the inaugural class of theJeopardy! Hall of Fame at the firstJeopardy! Honors event. His widow, Jean, accepted the award on his behalf.[231]
In November 2023, Trebek's widow Jean, alongside television personalityKatie Couric (who served as a guest host onJeopardy! in March 2021 following Trebek's death[232]) launched "The Alex Trebek Fund" in his honor in partnership withStand Up to Cancer, to support scientists working on improving screening and treatment options for pancreatic cancer.[233]
On June 21, 2024, theU.S. Postal Service announced that it will issue afirst-class Forever stamp honoring Trebek, which was released on July 22, 2024, on what would have been his 84th birthday.[234][235] The stamp's design is in the form of aJeopardy!-style question.[236]
^abcdTrebek, Alex (August 4, 2008)."August 4, 2008 Program".Q (Interview). Interviewed by Jian Ghomeshi.CBC. Archived fromthe original on October 30, 2008. RetrievedJune 28, 2016.
^Alex Trebek YKO Los Angeles. Archived fromthe original on October 30, 2021.Now, jump ahead about 20 years... my father is still a chef, and he's getting feelings of nostalgia for the Old Country. He would like to go back and visit Ukraine.
^Marchese, David (November 12, 2018)."In Conversation: Alex Trebek".Vulture.com. New York City:New York Media.Archived from the original on November 13, 2018. RetrievedNovember 13, 2018.I'm an independent. I'm not ultraconservative. I'm not ultraliberal either. I toldSean Hannity once: "I'm a social liberal and a fiscal conservative. I want to help people, but I'm not necessarily eager to pay for it."
^abEggertson, Laura."Alex Trebek gift supports big thinking".Tabaret.Archived from the original on June 13, 2017. RetrievedDecember 12, 2016.Trebek credits the influence of his wife Jean on his approach to philanthropy. As quoted by Eggertson, "She has taught me the value of looking outside of yourself in a charitable way, helping others either financially or personally – and never expecting anything in return."
^Corcelli, John."Music Hop".History of Canadian Broadcasting. Canadian Communications Foundation.Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. RetrievedNovember 8, 2020.
^Corcelli, John."Vacation Time".History of Canadian Broadcasting. Canadian Communications Foundation.Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. RetrievedNovember 8, 2020.
^abCorcelli, John."Reach for the Top".History of Canadian Broadcasting. Canadian Communication Foundation.Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. RetrievedNovember 8, 2020.
^Corcelli, John."Barris and Company".History of Canadian Broadcasting. Canadian Communication Foundation.Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. RetrievedNovember 8, 2020.
^Corcelli, John."Pick and Choose".History of Canadian Broadcasting. Canadian Communication Foundation.Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. RetrievedNovember 8, 2020.
^Corcelli, John; Phillips, Rosemary."Outside Inside".History of Canadian Broadcasting. Canadian Communication Foundation.Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. RetrievedNovember 8, 2020.
^Corcelli, John."TGIF".History of Canadian Broadcasting. Canadian Communication Foundation.Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. RetrievedNovember 8, 2020.
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Presentation by Trebek to the National Press Club, November 5, 1997,C-SPAN.jpg)
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