‘Wheel of Fortune’ Co-Host Vanna White Wishes Alex Trebek Happy Birthday With Major Throwback

Wheel of Fortune co-host Vanna White sent “happy birthday” wishes to Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek using a major throwback. In a post on Instagram, White shared a retro photo of the two game show icons. In the post caption, she wrote, “Lots of memories with this longtime pal. Happy birthday Alex!”

Trebek is celebrating his 80th birthday, and many of his fans have been taking to social media to express their love and support. In response to all the kind messages he’s been receiving, the Jeopardy! producers issued a statement and shared it on Twitter. “Alex thanks all of you from the bottom of his heart for all of the messages of support he’s received,” the statement read. “Due to the sheer volume, he will no longer be responding to letters or requests for autographs. Please know that he appreciates each and every sentiment conveyed!”

Other celebrity friends have been sending birthday wishes to Trebek, with Dr. Mehmet Oz tweeting out a thoughtful message to his fellow TV host and including a photo of the two of them. “Happy 80th birthday to my hero, Alex Trebek. This photo was taken in September 2019, and what I said about him then is still true today: Alex is ‘a brave warrior who exudes the determined mindset of a winner.’ Lots of love on your 80th, Alex.

Trebek’s birthday comes just one day after the release of his new memoir, The Answer Is …: Reflections On My Life. In the book, Trebek shares stories from his life, as well as lessons he’s learned along the way. He also very candidly addresses his fight with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. While promoting the book on GMA recently, Trebek opened up about how the battle with cancer has caused him to feel very low at times.

“There was one day a few weeks ago when Jeanie asked me in the morning, ‘How do you feel?’ And I said, ‘I feel like I wanna die.’ It was that bad,” Trebek said, also calling his wife a “saint” for being by his side during his difficult and complicated journey. “I apologized to her and explain that it has nothing to do with my love for her or my feelings for her. It just has to do with the fact that I feel like I’m a terrible burden to her. And that bothers me tremendously.”