‘Jeopardy!’ Phenom James Holzhauer Can’t Imagine Show Without Alex Trebek, Donates to Cancer Research

Jeopardy! record-setter James Holzhauer is doing what he can for the show’s host, Alex Trebek. In a new interview this week, Holzhauer discussed how Trebek’s cancer battle is affecting him, and what he has done to try and help. All of this comes ahead of Holzhauer’s return to Jeopardy! for the Tournament of Champions.

Holzhauer had all eyes on Jeopardy! earlier this year with his historic streak on the show. The professional gambler came close to breaking the all-time winnings record on the show, and in about half as many games. He told the Las Vegas Review Journal that he donated a big chunk of those winnings to pancreatic cancer research in Trebek’s honor.

“I felt like I had to do something in Alex’s honor, and it was a great opportunity to show my hometown some love,” he explained. “I was definitely surprised when that donation went viral.”

Holzhauer was not unrealistic about the possibilities the future holds. However, he is hopeful, and said it is hard to picture Jeopardy! without its iconic host.

“Whatever happens from here, I’m glad I had the opportunity to be on the show with Alex,” he said. “I can’t imagine Jeopardy! without him.”

Holzhauer had previously reacted to Trebek’s ailment in an interview with the Review-Journal earlier this year. He recalled first hearing about Trebek’s diagnosis while he was filming his initial run on the show. When Holzhauer learned that Trebek was getting more physical therapy, he felt like he was reliving the tragedy.

“I’m not sure I can give you a more poignant reaction than ‘this really sucks,’” he said. It’s basically the same thing I felt when I first heard the news of his cancer diagnosis in the Jeopardy! green room. I will say that during the ToC taping, Alex’s voice and delivery sounded as good as ever.”

“I’m sure it’s getting more and more difficult for him to keep showing up to work…” Holzhauer added.

Trebek’s treatment is no small challenge. With Stage IV cancer, the TV host is heading back for another round of chemo therapy. He is still working on the show in the meantime, to the astonishment of many other cancer survivors.

Jeopardy!‘s 2019 Tournament of Champions is coming soon, though an official release date has not been announced yet. However, Holzhauer’s interview suggests that the game has already been filmed, meaning he knows where he stands in the game and in the history books. The regular show continues to air on weeknights at 7 p.m. ET on ABC.