Who was Alex Trebek? How did he mesmerise millions through Jeopardy?

Image Source: Shutterstock

The US is widely recognised for its entertainment industry – from Hollywood to the real-life television – which has sold copyright licences to numerous countries.

One thing that makes the American TV industry outstanding is its game shows and their iconic hosts. A legendary presenter, who earned a reputation globally, is George Alexander Trebek, famously known as Alex Trebek.

Not only Americans but also millions of people across the globe enjoyed his game show Jeopardy! Mr Trebek died on 8 November from a severe form of pancreatic cancer.

However, Mr Trebek left plenty of memories to be cherished, so that his legacy could be passed on to the newer generation. The new generation is not as lucky as its predecessors who witnessed the Trebek-era entertainment.

What is Mr Trebek’s social and educational background?

Mr Trebek grew up in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, where his father emigrated from Ukraine in the 1920s. George Terebeychuk, Mr Trebek’s father, worked as a pastry chef in one of the Canadian hotels. Since Mr Trebek and his father’s name sounded almost similar, Mr Trebek’s friends named him Sonny. Ironic enough, a partnership with Sony will mark Mr Trebek’s most outstanding achievement later on in life.

Before landing a TV presenter’s role, Mr Trebek attended a military college, but not for long. After dropping out, he enrolled in the University of Ottawa‘s philosophy course.

What were Mr Trebek’s less-famous job roles?

Whilst studying philosophy, Mr Trebek got a job as a radio presenter at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBS). He kept that position for 12 years but got a massive break in the early 1970s when Mr Trebek landed a host’s job for the Wizard of Odds, a famous American game show of that time.

Mr Trebek worked for many game shows which are now long forgotten, such as High Rollers, Battlestars, Pitfall, Double Dare, Strategy, Malcolm, Lucky Numbers, and several others.

However, it was not until 1984 when Mr Trebek got the nation-wide fame. With some timely help from his friend Lucille Ball, he landed the role of his life – a game show host for Jeopardy.

Mr Trebek at 2019 Daytime Emmy Awards (Image Source: Shutterstock)

Mr Trebek and Jeopardy!

Mr Trebek had a tough job at hand at Jeopardy as he had to fill shoes of Art Fleming, who had presented the show for 11 years.

Yet, Mr Trebek quickly established himself as the new face of the show, becoming famous for his wit and a signature answer delivery. Six years after Mr Trebek had joined the regular cast for Jeopardy! the show attracted 15 million viewers during the night peak time and became the most popular game show in America.

Hosting Jeopardy! brought Mr Trebek seven Daytime Emmy awards for Outstanding Game Show Host, as well as the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mr Trebek also made his spot in the Guinness’s Book of Records by setting the record for the most game show episodes hosted by the same presenter. According to the book, Mr Trebek appeared more than 8,000 times in Jeopardy! for almost four decades.

The late host of Jeopardy! also received famous stars in both Hollywood and the Canadian Hall of Fame, as well as the second-highest civilian order in Canada.

Image Source: Shutterstock

Mr Trebek’s notable philanthropic work

Giving back to the society was Mr Trebek’s important goal in life. He aided his former university, the USO, World Vision, and many other organisations, with financial and moral support. Mr Trebek believed that life could only be fulfilled if he kept helping people.

Mr Trebek was also famous for being a travel adventurer as he used to travel amid his booked-out schedule on television. Some of his favourite places were Israel, Machu Pichu, Bronte Country in England.

Sadly, Mr Trebek died after a prolonged illness, a form of cancer that he was diagnosed with in 2019. Many of his colleagues testified to his struggles at work, but Mr Trebek neither complained nor did he want to postpone the recording of the shows.

During his last few months, Mr Trebek wrote a book of memoirs called ‘The Answer Is… Reflections on My Life’. The book was released in July this year and will surely keep Mr Trebek and his great work alive among his audience and the new generations.