Alex Trebek Returns to ‘Jeopardy!’ Stage After Cancer Diagnosis

Less than a week after announcing that he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, Alex Trebek is back to work.

The gameshow host returned to the Jeopardy! stage on the Sony Pictures lot in Culver City, California on Tuesday, March 12. He will also return for tapings on Wednesday to complete his usual two-day filming schedule.

“We are taping today, and Alex is here and behind his lectern as scheduled,” a spokeswoman for the popular show confirmed in a statement to CNN.

The game show typically films its run of weekly shows over the course of two days every week, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Trebek had already finished taping last Wednesday when he announced his cancer diagnosis in a YouTube video filmed on the Jeopardy! stage, promising fans that he planned to continue working as he undergoes treatment to beat the disease.

“Just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer,” he said in the March 6 video. “Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working. And with the love and support of my family and friends and with the help of your prayers also, I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease.”

“Truth told, I have to! Because under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years!” he said. “So help me. Keep the faith and we’ll win. We’ll get it done. Thank you.”

Trebek has been the host of Jeopardy! for 35 years, taking over the gig from former host Art Fleming in 1984. In November, it was announced that Trebek had renewed his contract for an additional three years, meaning he is slated to keep his iconic role as host until 2022.

Although the game show host has said that his odds of retiring after 2020 are “50-50 and a little less,” last month he did name a few possible replacements to take over the role when he does exit the series.

“It’s probably going to be a woman, somebody younger, somebody bright, somebody personable, somebody with a great sense of humor,” he said, tossing out Betty White’s name before giving more plausible contenders, like CNN’s Laura Coates, LA Kings announcer Alex Faust, and TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz.

Jeopardy! airs weekdays at 7 p.m. ET.