• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Good Morning Quote

Good Morning Quote

Smile when you need it

  • LIVE
  • LOVE
  • INSPIRE
  • MOTIVATE
  • BE HAPPY
  • FAMILY
  • FRIENDS
  • Our Story
  • Contact

Who Will Always Be a Champion of Facts, Wisdom, and Humor? Alex Trebek

Home » Famous Quotes » Who Will Always Be a Champion of Facts, Wisdom, and Humor? Alex Trebek

January 31, 2021 By Tina Gray Leave a Comment

From 1984 right up to the month before his death on November 8, 2020, Alex Trebek, full name George Alexander Trebek, hosted Jeopardy! The award-winning host appeared in over 8,000 episodes, taping five per day, including some appearing posthumously.

Since 2014, Alex Trebek held the Guinness World Record for most game shows hosted by the same presenter. He loved doing the show and never tired of it right to the end.

He was 80-years-old and battled pancreatic cancer, which he first publicly announced on March 6, 2019. Soon after, the cancer went into remission, and he returned to tape the 35th season. Unfortunately, aggressive cancer suddenly came back.

Nevertheless, he continued to tape introductions for 20 Jeopardy introductions, even while in considerable pain.

Hosting the Show Gave Him Strength

While filming, Trebek said he gained strength.

“Oddly enough, when we started taping, I suddenly started to regain my strength,” he said in a phone interview a couple of days later. “It’s the strangest thing. It is some kind of an elixir.”

As he went about hosting, he resolved to maintain the quality of the show.

“It’s a quality program, and I think I do a good job hosting it, and when I start slipping, I’ll stop hosting,” he said.

Judging by a recent contestant, Cliff Chang, Trebek did just that. Appearing on the final show Trebek hosted, Chang says the host was a “consummate professional.”

Appearing on the show had been an “exhilarating train ride.” The Chicago Tribune reports that Chang praised Trebek for “normalizing being cool for knowing stuff, in a way that not a lot of other people did.”

Proudest Moment on the Show?

Trebek once responded when asked if he had a “proudest moment” on the show in a moment of humor. “We’ve done over 7,500 shows, and I don’t even remember the ones we did yesterday.” For Trebek, ensuring every show was of the highest quality and accuracy was equally important.

Trebek is survived by his wife, Jean Currivan Trebek, and two children, Emily and Matthew Trebek. His quick wit, dry humor, and intellect made him a favorite for millions. Over the years, Jeopardy! became iconic, with its unique phrasing in the form of a question often parodied.

Moving to the Next Level

Trebek showed astonishing bravery as he faced his final days. The Times reported how he spoke to his wife about moving to the “next level,” almost like he was advancing on the game show.

“Yesterday morning my wife came to me and said, ‘How are you feeling?’ And I said, ‘I feel like I want to die.’ It was that bad,” he said. “There comes a time where you have to make a decision as to whether you want to continue with such a low quality of life, or whether you want to just ease yourself into the next level. It doesn’t bother me in the least.”

He bravely moved on to the next level, advocating for helping those suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic in a posthumous message.

A Champion of Facts

At a time when our culture faces a war on facts, Trebek was the champion of them. He found adhering to facts comforting and believe the show was a positive force for learning.

“There’s a certain comfort that comes from knowing a fact,” Trebek said. “The sun is up in the sky. There’s nothing you can say that’s going to change that. You can’t say, ‘The sun’s not up there, there’s no sky.’ There is reality, and there’s nothing wrong with accepting reality. It’s when you try to distort reality, to maneuver it into accommodating your particular point of view, your particular bigotry, your particular whatever — that’s when you run into problems.”

Alex Trebek meme
Alex Trebek, image via YouTube/Business Insider

When asked why people loved the show so much, he said it was due to its longstanding emphasis on the positive.

“Jeopardy! is beloved because it has lasted so long. Viewers relate positively to Jeopardy! because there are no great negatives about our program. We try to emphasize the positive [and] favor learning. We want you and the contestants to demonstrate that knowledge is not only important, but it’s valuable in every aspect of your life. So, we reinforce the postives, and you can’t go wrong with that.”

Alex Trebek meme
Alex Trebek, image via YouTube/Business Insider

Watch the real Trebek behind the scenes from Business Insider:

The Wiley Wizard of Odds

A Canadian, Trebek got his American game show start on the 1970 game show, “The Wizard of Odds.” Another Canadian, actor Alan Thicke was developing the show and called on Trebek. In 1973, Trebek got the job and moved to California. He remained employed in a string of game shows for the next 50 years.

On the show, the announcer referred to him as “The Wiley Wizard of Odds.” From there, he appeared on many other game shows, including:

  • Double Dare
  • Classic Concentration
  • The $128,000 Question
  • Pitfall
  • The New Battlestars
  • High Rollers
  • To Tell the Truth

At one point, Trebek hosted three shows simultaneously: Jeopardy!, Concentration, and To Tell the Truth.

In a pilot for a show called Malcolm, Trebek played second banana to a strange animated cartoon video puppet. 

See some of the shows Trebek hosted in the video from YouTube:

A Romantic at Heart

Although Trebek was often somewhat stoic as host of the fast-paced Jeopardy!, behind the scenes, that wasn’t the case. For example, he described the day he proposed to his second wife, Jean Currivan Trebek. It was in the late 1980s when he met her at a party and proposed within months.

“I had visited Thailand, and I purchased a sapphire and diamond ring…I invited my future wife over to my house for dinner.

“This is a souvenir from Bangkok, Thailand,’ and she looked at it, and there was the ring. I didn’t say a word. She ran from the room in tears. We are a crying family. I cry at the opening of a door,” he said.

Jean Currivan Trebek supported her husband throughout his ordeal with cancer, uplifting him whenever possible.

Jean Currivan and Alex Trebek
Jean Currivan and Alex Trebek, image via YouTube/ABC News

What is Self-Deprecating Humor, Alex?

Often, Trebek had a dry sense of humor, but he enjoyed poking fun at himself. For example, he appeared on Saturday Night Live with hilarious impersonator Will Ferrell.

“Never be afraid of poking fun at yourself. Self-deprecating humor is worth its weight in gold,” Trebek said.

Alex Trebek Meme
Alex Trebek, image via YouTube/Business Insider

Alex Trebek’s Legacy of Laughs

When asked what he wanted his legacy to be, he said:

“Nice man, helped people through his charity work, was kind to everybody he encountered. Enjoy life. Make somebody laugh. I believe laughter is one of the greatest cures that we can possibly have. It’s right up there with prayer, believe me,” he said.

Alex Trebek meme
Alex Trebek, image via YouTube/ABC News

For an example of his off-screen humor, when asked what advice he would give to his 20-year-old self, Trebek paused and said, “Try to meet Ava Gardner if you can,” with a smile.

In another moment, he said his favorite part of the show was spending a half-hour on stage with “three very bright people” because “I don’t like spending time with stupid people, so I have very few friends.”

We will all miss Alex Trebek, a champion of facts and humor. What an amazing life as we enter a new year, embracing his example of valuing facts and wisdom.

See more from ABC News below:


Featured image: Screenshot via YouTube/Business Insider

Tina Gray GMQ
Tina Gray

Tina Gray is a freelance journalist, theatre enthusiast and aspiring author. She has a passion for telling stories through various mediums and regularly writes for various online publications. Her short stories will soon be published in her first volume. Currently, she resides in the San Fernando Valley and is studying screenwriting.

You'll also like:

  • 1.  Vince Lombardi Quotes That Will Inspire You Today
  • 2.  A Few of the Dumbest Quotes from Powerful People in 2020
  • 3.  15 Quotes About Happiness To Inspire You Today
  • 4.  82 Philosophical Quotes about Life with Images

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

SEARCH QUOTES HERE

Articles

Good Morning Quotes

Love Quotes

Happy Monday Quotes

Happy Tuesday Quotes

Happy Wednesday Quotes

Happy Thursday Quotes

Happy Friday Quotes

Happy Saturday Quotes

Happy Sunday Quotes

FOLLOW FOR MORE QUOTES

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Inspirational Quotes About Strength

82 Short and Inspirational Quotes about Strength

Sad Quotes and Sayings about Life and Love

61 Sad Quotes and Sayings about Life and Love

best gym motivational quote with woman on the background

111 Best Motivational Gym Quotes with Images

Happy Monday Quotes

Happy Monday Quotes To Brighten Your Day

Footer

Our Story

Our mission at Good Morning Quote is promoting positivity, increase spirit, spark ideas, encourage success, and motivate people with love quotes, motivational life quotes, and inspiring friends quotes. We create not to sell but to motivate our fast-growing community in our own simple and subtle way. We are hands-on in selecting the best quotes, designs, and the products for you so you can get a smile when you need it!

Follow Us for more Quotes

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

About Us | Privacy Policy | Contact

Popular Categories

  • Angel Quotes
  • Best Thoughtful Gifts for Grandma
  • Birthday Wishes
  • Blog
  • Decluttering
  • Family Quotes
  • Famous Quotes
  • Friendship Quotes
  • Funny Quotes
  • Inspirational Quotes
  • Life Quotes
  • Love Quotes
  • Motivational Quotes
  • Movie Quotes
  • Positive Thinking
  • Quotes
  • Reviews
  • Songs
  • Uncategorized

Recent Posts

  • 82 Short and Inspirational Quotes about Strength
  • 61 Sad Quotes and Sayings about Life and Love
  • 111 Best Motivational Gym Quotes with Images
  • Happy Monday Quotes To Brighten Your Day
  • 193 Thinking and Missing You Quotes
  • 10 Hilarious Jokes That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud
  • 32 Short Stay Strong Quotes and Images
  • 132 Happy Birthday Wishes for Friend with Images
  • 91 Heart Touching Quotes for Him and Her
  • 123 Top Ever Inspirational Farewell Quotes
  • 142 Amazing Appreciation Thank You Quotes with Photos
  • 15 Happy New Year Wishes For The Year Ahead
  • 67 Best Mother Quotes and Sayings with Images
  • 55 Inspirational Monday Quotes To Start Happy
  • 146 Happy Thursday Quotes
  • 123 Beautiful Smile Quotes
  • 100 Emotional Sacrifice Quotes That Will Make You Selfless
  • 55 Best Little Rascals Quotes and Sayings
  • 142 Best Bible Quotes On Love and Strength
  • 64 Funny Good Morning Quotes with Images

Copyright © 2023 • Good Morning Quote™ • All Rights Reserved