Hollywood has lost one of its greats.
Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek passed away at the age of 80 on Sunday, Nov. 8, after battling pancreatic cancer for more than a year. The news was announced on the game show’s Twitter page on Sunday, Nov. 8. The post read, “Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends. Thank you, Alex.”
In a statement to E! News, producers said Trebek’s last day in the studio was on Oct. 29, a little more than a week before he died, and that the final Jeopardy! episodes he hosted will air through Dec. 25. The statement added, “The show is not announcing plans for a new host at this time.”
Executive Producer Mike Richards said in a statement, “This is an enormous loss for the Jeopardy! staff, crew and all of Alex’s millions of fans. He was a legend of the industry that we were all lucky to watch night after night for 37 years. Working beside him for the past year and a half as he heroically continued to host Jeopardy! was an incredible honor. His belief in the importance of the show and his willingness to push himself to perform at the highest level was the most inspiring demonstration of courage I have ever seen. His constant desire to learn, his kindness, and his professionalism will be with all of us forever.”