“Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek is clarifying his earlier comments about stopping cancer treatment, saying he would return to a previous treatment if his current round proves unsuccessful.
The new statement, released through the “Jeopardy!” Twitter account, comes after the host previously wrote in his recently released memoir, “The Answer Is…”, that his current round would be his last. “Quality of life was an important consideration,” he wrote.
“That quote from the book was written BEFORE my current regimen, and I was going through some bad times,” Trebek said Wednesday. “My current numbers are very good, but we will have to be patient with this new immunotherapy program that I am on. But, if it were to stop being successful, I would return to my previous chemo treatment — NOT stop all treatment.”
Alex Trebek has been battling stage four pancreatic cancer since last year and has repeatedly said that his treatment has been “going well.” He recently told “Good Morning America” that he plans to return to work on the game show in the coming weeks, with precautions in place to protect against the spread of COVID-19.
“I apologize for any confusion, and want everyone to know that I am optimistic about my current plan, and thank them for their concerns,” Trebek said.
Alex Trebek: 9 Things You Didn't Know About the 'Jeopardy!' Host (Photos)
"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek passed away on Nov. 8 and left behind an amazing legacy. We've compiled a list of nine interesting things you probably didn't know about the longtime television personality from a new biography written by Lisa Rogak called "Who Is Alex Trebek?" out now from Macmillan Publishers.
Trebek, his wife Jean, and his son Matt, courtesy of "Who Is Alex Trebek? A Biography" by Lisa Rogak
He was a troublemaker in his youth
In his teen years, Trebek was sent to a Catholic boarding school after his parents separated. There, he was nearly expelled over disagreements with one of his teachers.
Alex Trebek in 1984 (Photo by Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images)
He nearly became a priest
In college, Trebek considered becoming a priest and went so far as to spend a summer at a Trappist monastery. But it was the vow of silence that changed his mind. He later said, “I’m not one to keep my big mouth shut.”
A Trappist monk / Getty
He's a clean-freak
After quitting his job of 12 years at the CBC, he moved to Los Angeles. There he found a roommate in "Growing Pains" actor Alan Thicke, who compared living with Trebek to Felix, the neat-freak character on the sitcom "The Odd Couple."
Felix from "The Odd Couple" / ABC
He went through a rough divorce
Trebek's first marriage lasted seven years and ended in 1981. He later admitted that he lived “like a very depressed monk,” spending most nights watching TV with a bucket of fried chicken and a bottle of white wine.
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Lucille Ball helped him land "Jeopardy!"
The "I Love Lucy" star was a big fan of "High Rollers," the game show Trebek hosted previously. She told her friend, producer Merv Griffin, to consider hiring him when they decided to resurrect "Jeopardy!"
He named his cat Sleaze Bucket
Trebek is an animal lover, but when it comes to names, he doesn't hold back. He had a dog named Spammer, two rescue cats named Winger Dinger and Sleaze Bucket (A.K.A. Sleazy) and another cat named Safety Puce.
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Ladies love him
A woman at a book signing once gifted him a cupcake topped with a pair of breasts made out of frosting. And during the days when he hosted the Pillsbury Bake-Off, a contestant once asked the judges, “Is Alex here yet, and do you know his room number?”
Pillsbury Bake-Off promo / CBS
He swears like a sailor
Known for his proclivity for profanity, Trebek has let more than a few f-bombs fly over the years. During a 2014 radio interview with Dan Patrick, Trebek was informed that they were operating on a profanity delay. “I’m worried about your language,” Patrick said at the time.
He's a Luddite
“I don’t text, I don’t access the Internet, I don’t blog, I don’t tweet,” Trebek has said. He only uses his cell phone to make calls, but he's not a fan of social media. “Everyone has their face buried in their phones,” he continued, according to Rogak. “Why is it important to know what I did this morning and convey that to other people?”
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Fun fact: He briefly considered becoming a priest during his college years
"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek passed away on Nov. 8 and left behind an amazing legacy. We've compiled a list of nine interesting things you probably didn't know about the longtime television personality from a new biography written by Lisa Rogak called "Who Is Alex Trebek?" out now from Macmillan Publishers.
Trebek, his wife Jean, and his son Matt, courtesy of "Who Is Alex Trebek? A Biography" by Lisa Rogak
Alex Trebek in 1984 (Photo by Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images)
