"Jeopardy!" producer Mike Richards is sharing details of Alex Trebek's final days on the set of the game show. Days before his death on Nov. 8 at age 80 following a battle with pancreatic cancer, the beloved host taped several "Jeopardy!" episodes, and although he was upbeat and positive during filming, Trebek was suffering in silence.
"He was in enormous pain. He was, you know, 10 days away from passing away and you will not sense any of that in these episodes," Richards said during an interview with NBC's "Today" that was released Monday. "He is strong. He sounds great. He’s funny and he’s amazing."
Richards described Trebek as a "warrior," adding that it was "herculean" how he was able to film and give himself "back to the set." Richards said nobody had anticipated Trebek's death, not even the game show host himself.
This is the final week that the pre-taped episodes will air, and in one of the final episodes on Monday, Trebek offered a touching message of hope.
"I'd like you to open up your hands and open up your hearts to those who are still suffering because of COVID-19. People who are suffering through no fault of their own," he said. "We're trying to build a gentler, kinder society and if we all pitch in just a little bit, we're going to get there."
Next week, guest hosts will be filling Trebek's position until a permanent replacement is found. Ken Jennings will be the first to host the show.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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