Alex Trebek, the Sudbury-born host of Jeopardy!, says he's already planning to host another season of the popular talk show after wrapping up taping his 35th season this week.
Trebek, 78, announced in March he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, a particularly deadly form of the disease with survival rates normally measured in months.
But Thursday, he posted a video telling fans he's feeling good.
“Here on the last day of taping for our 35th anniversary season, I wanted once again to thank you for your continuing messages of encouragement and support particularly,” Trebek says in the video. “The many cards I've received from young people, I'm touched beyond words. I've always tried to be straight with you and I'm not going to stop now.
“So despite what you may have heard, I'm feeling good. I'm continuing with my therapy and we buy we the staff is already working on our next season the 36th year of Jeopardy. So I look forward to seeing you once again in September with all kinds of good stuff.”
Trebek was born in Sudbury in 1940, and spent his early years growing up in the Flour Mill area of the city. Starting out on the CBC, where his hosting duties included Reach for the Top, Trebek has won five Daytime Emmy Awards and has 27 nominations for Outstanding Game Show Host. He holds the Guinness World
Record for the most game shows hosted by the same person.
He first headed to the U.S. in 1973, lured by another Northern Ontario native, the late Alan Thicke, to host a short-lived game show called The Wizard of Odds. More game show hosting duties followed until he became the star of Jeopardy! in 1984.
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