Alex Trebek Eager for ‘Jeopardy!’ to Be First Back in Production After COVID-19 Quarantine Despite Cancer Battle

It sounds like Alex Trebek is excited to get back to work on Jeopardy! despite health issues suffered by both him and the world-at-large. Like most of the TV industry, the long-running quiz show was put on hiatus this past March to help slow the spread of coronavirus. However, the show’s host is eager to return to his spot behind the podium.

“Alex is looking forward to resuming production as soon as we are able to do so,” a spokesperson for the show told TV Line. “He’s told us he wants to be one of the first shows back in production.” Trebek first announced he was battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March of 2019, though he kept his hosting duties throughout treatment. There was also some concern among the show’s dedicated fanbase that Trebek’s ongoing health issues could put him at higher risk of contracting COVID-19.

In March, roughly one year after his diagnosis, Trebek offered a sobering update on his health. “The one-year survival rate for stage four pancreatic cancer patients is 18 percent. I’m very happy to report I have just reached that marker,” Trebek said. “Now, I’d be lying if I said the journey had been an easy one. There were some good days but a lot of not-so-good days. I joked with friends that the cancer won’t kill me, the chemo treatments will.”

Trebek also spoke frankly about how the pain caused him to question whether it was even worth fighting on, but he said that would have been “a massive betrayal” to those he loves. “A betrayal of my wife and soulmate, Jean, who has given her all to help me survive. It would have been a betrayal of other cancer patients who have looked to me as an inspiration and a cheerleader of sorts, of the value of living and hope.”

Speaking of frank confessions, the Jeopardy! host is also planning to release a biography on July 21. Titled The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life the book will allow Trebek to discuss his battle with cancer, his marriage to Jean Currivan Trebek, success and spirituality. It’ll also tackle long-standing questions like “what prompted him to shave his signature mustache, his insights on legendary players like Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer, and his opinion of Will Ferrell’s Saturday Night Live impersonation.” Trebek said that he wants “people to know a little more about the person they have been cheering on for the past year.”