BREAKING: Alex Trebek Has Died at the Age of 80
Alex Trebek, the beloved host of Jeopardy!, has died following a battle with pancreatic cancer. The news was first broke by TMZ late Sunday morning.
"Jeopardy is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends. Thank you, Alex," the show tweeted on Sunday.
Trebek, who had hosted Jeopardy! since 1984, has been very open about his health diagnosis. He first revealed his stage four pancreatic cancer diagnosis in a video message shared in March 2019 with fans.
When he shared the news he vowed to fight the disease and to keep working. He kept hosting the program and even returned to television screens after the show went on hiatus for the coronavirus pandemic.
"Jeopardy!" is seen by an estimated 24 million viewers each week, ABC News reports. Alex was under contract with the program through the 2021-2022 season, they say.
Tributes are already pouring in from across Hollywood. Actress Marlee Matlin wrote on Twitter, "The #Jeopardy stage is empty now and the television world will not be the same without Alex Trebek. RIP."