Published 16:29 IST, November 9th 2020
Alex Trebek passes away: Read about the life of the beloved 'Jeopardy!' host
Alex Trebek passes away: Take a look back at the life of Alex and all that he achieved in his fruitful career. Also read about his battle with cancer.
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Alex Trebek, the famous game show host, recently passed away on November 8, 2020, after battling pancreatic cancer. Alex was known for hosting the hit show Jeopardy! and was also loved by fans for his loving attitude towards all. He received the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host seven times for his work and also appeared in a number of other shows. As fans mourn his death, here's a look at his life and his fruitful career.
Alex Trebek's early life and education
Alex Trebek was born on July 22, 1940, in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. His father was George Edward Trebek and his mother was Lucille Lagacé. He grew up in a household where his family spoke French and English. He attended the Sudbury Secondary School and graduated from University of Ottawa with a degree in philosophy in 1961.
Alex Trebek's career and awards
In 1961, Alex started working for the CBC and tried his hand at many different types of jobs. He worked for the CBC news and then the CBC radio and hosted many other events for the production house. Then in 1973, Alex moved to the United States and worked for NBC for a show. The show was called The Wizard of Odds and fans loved seeing Alex on it as well. Alex then started hosting many other shows like - Double Dare, The $128,000 Question and The Magnificent Marble Machine. In 1984, Alex started hosting Jeopardy! The show was created by Merv Griffin and ran for 36 years with Alex. The show has more than 8000 episodes aired till now.
Alex received many awards for his work. He was considered to be one of the best hosts on TV. Here's a look at a few:
- Outstanding Game Show Host Emmy Awards (1989, 1990, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2019, and 2020)
- Royal Canadian Geographical Society's Gold Medal
- Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmy Awards.
- 2019 Americanism Award
Alex Trebek's family and relationships
In 1974, Alex Trebek married broadcaster Elaine Callei. Even though the couple had no children together, Alex adopted Elaine's daughter Nicky. After a while, the two got divorced. Then in 1990, he married Jean Currivan, who was a real estate project manager from New York. The two had two kids named Matthew and Emily. Canadain by birth, Alex became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1998.
Also Read | Alex Trebek, quizmaster of 'Jeopardy', passes away at 80 after battling pancreatic cancer
Alex Trebek's demise
Alex Trebek, on On March 6, 2019, announced that he was suffering from stage IV pancreatic cancer. He mentioned many times after that, that he wasn't afraid of dying and would continue to do the work he so loved. On July 16th this year, the host mentioned that his treatment was paying off and that he was doing well, reported NBC news. But the sad news of his death came recently and it was announced that he was dead due to cancer. He was 80 years old and fought the disease hard for 18 months.
16:29 IST, November 9th 2020