Canadian game show host Alex Trebek died on Sunday at the age of eighty from the effects of pancreatic cancer. TMZ reports that .
The quizmaster was told in March 2019 that he had pancreatic cancer, after which he immediately started chemotherapy.
Trebek was best known for the American game show Jeopardy! , which he has presented since 1984. He was currently working on the show’s 37th season. “Alex went to sleep peacefully on Sunday morning,” said a spokesperson for the show. “He was surrounded by his family and friends.”
The creators of the program are proud that Trebek has presented the show for so long. “His belief in the importance of the show and his strength to keep going is one of the bravest things we’ve ever seen.”
Trebek was born in the Canadian province of Ontario, but has spent much of his career in the United States. He also naturalized there in the late 1990s.
Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends. Thank you, Alex. pic.twitter.com/Yk2a90CHIM
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) November 8, 2020