Remembering Alex Trebek: Jeopardy! Host Deceased at 80

Greetings, everyone. 

I'm here to talk a little bit about some heartbreaking news from the entertainment industry.

Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek passed away earlier today at the age of 80. He has been battling pancreatic cancer for the past year plus as he revealed last March. 

Trebek hosted the revival of Jeopardy! since its debut in 1984, and won seven Daytime Emmy Awards in the years since for his work in the legendary professor's podium. Trebek has hosted other game shows in his decades long career including Wizard of Odds, Double Dare, High Rollers and Classic Concentration.

This man was one of my favorite television personalities and an inspiration to me. When I was a kid, while most other kids watched cartoons and kid comedies and the like, when I finished my homework,  I'd watch the news and when 7pm hit, I'd turn to my local ABC station to watch Jeopardy! This show meant so much to me in many ways since I was a young man. I loved Johnny Gilbert's boisterous and awesome opening narration, rooting for three different contestants to show off their smarts to their best and  win cash, and learn so many new things I never would before. But the one thing I look forward to the most is Trebek's hosting. His calm and caring yet intense and dour demeanor, sweet and sour personality and entertaining demeanor and rapport with the contestants wowed me over when I first watched and I just adored every time ever since. His talents are everlasting and his work on the show (and the rest of his incredible) is forever iconic.

Trebek hosted tapings of this current - and now his final - season of Jeopardy! until October 29, with fresh new editions airing until January 8. I will do my absolute best to watch them all live (or at least later in the evening on DVR), and I'm sure millions upon millioms of other viewers and fans will too. And his final episode will no doubt break ratings records, with me crying like a baby when it ends.

Jeopardy! will never be the same without him, and I - like many millions of fans throughout the world - will miss him very much.

My love, prayers, condolences are to his family, friends, Johnny Gilbert, colleagues and the Jeopardy! staff.

Rest in Peace and Thank You for everything, Mr. Trebek.