'Jeopardy' star Alex Trebek says his pancreatic cancer could mean the end of him on the show that he hosted for 35 years
Alex Trebek has been battling pancreatic cancer for many months and recently hinted that his time as a host on 'Jeopardy' could be coming to an end.
Trebek told CTV that he had started getting sores inside his mouth as a result of the chemotherapy he has to go through. He said this made it very difficult for him to enunciate and sometimes hears himself slurring his words on the show. "I will keep doing it (the show) as long as my skills do not diminish, and they have started to diminish," he said.
During his long tenure as 'Jeopardy!' host, Trebek has entertained many millions of people for around 35 years with more than 8,000 episodes filmed. During March, Trebek had announced that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. It was just in September that Trebek revealed that he was undergoing another round of chemotherapy.
While giving an interview to CTV, Trebek revealed that he regrets being so public about his cancer. He said that his being so open about the illness led to many people leaning on him as a source of strength and optimism in their own personal battles while he was struggling with his own. "A lot of people are coming to me and looking for help, reassurance - and that’s tough", Trebek added.
"I don't know if I'm strong enough or intelligent enough to help alleviate some of that despair, so it's tough on me," he shared. However, Trebek is taking his diagnosis head first and has said that he is not afraid of death. "The thought of pancreatic cancer does not frighten me. I'm 79 years old. So, hey, I've lived a good life, a full life, and I'm nearing the end of that life. I know that", he revealed.
