RIP Alex Trebek (1940 - 2020)

This legendary Jeopardy! host recently lost his lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. Who is Alex Trebek?

Trebek hosted many games shows over his decades spanning career including Battlestars, Pitfall, High Rollers and The Magnificent Marble Machine. But it was the rebooted version of Jeopardy! that made him a household name.

During his tenure he hosted every episode of Jeopardy! except one where he switched places with Wheel of Fortune's Pat Sajak for a April Fool's Day prank in 1997. 

Born in Canada Trebek became a naturalized citizen in 1998 and has stars on both the Hollywood and Canadian walks of fame. 

Over the year Trebek won seven Outstanding Game Show Host Daytime Emmys and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In 2000,  he was elected into the National Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

He was also named an officer of the Order of Canada - the nation's second-highest civilian honor.

Over the years Jeopardy! has references the Muppets numerous times, on a few occasions they even had their own categories!

In 2005, he made a brief appearance on The Tony Danza Show where he was being interviewed by Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy , on the red carpet of the Daytime Emmy Awards. 

A year later Trebek made an appearance on Sesame Street teaching Telly the "Specials of the Day" at Hooper's Store.

 

In March 2019. Trebek was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but continued to host through October. The shows he already filmed will air through Dec. 25

 

Alex Trebek was 80.