Fans of Jeopardy! are dreading the day Alex Trebek is no longer on their TV screens. But the veteran game show host, who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March of 2019, says that he has been preparing for his eventual final episode. Trebek, who has hosted Jeopardy! for more than 35 years, has continued working all the way through his various cancer treatments. But during an interview with ABC's Michael Strahan, Trebek revealed that he has rehearsed his final sign off for when he is no longer able to carry on with the show.



“It’ll be a significant moment for me, but I've kind of, in my mind, rehearsed it already and what I would do on that day is tell the director, ‘Time the show down to leave me 30 seconds at the end. That’s all I want,” Trebek said.

According to the LA Times, Trebek, 79, has previously said that he will continue to do the show “as long as my skills have not diminished,” but told Strahan that the process had already begun, without specifying what he meant. Although no final show date has been announced, fans have been left wondering who could replace the iconic host. Trebeck says that he would address that question in his sign off as well.

“I will say my goodbyes, and I will tell people, 'Don't ask me who's going to replace me because I have no say whatsoever. But I'm sure that if you give them the same love and attention and respect that you have shown me... then they will be a success and the show will continue being a success. And until we meet again, God bless you and goodbye,'" he said.

Trebek stated that he has wanted to be courageous throughout the ordeal, and added that he hasn't felt a sense of being "scared to death," but rather has been left feeling entirely appreciative of all of the love, support, and kind words he's received from people all over the world.

“I have learned something in the past year and it’s this: Most of us have open ended lives — we don’t know when we’re going to die,” said Trebek. “Because of the cancer diagnosis, it’s no longer an open-ended life, it’s a closed-end life because of the terrible statistic survival rates of pancreatic cancer, and because of that and something else that is operating here, people all over America and abroad have decided they want to let me know now, while i'm alive about the impact that I've been having on their existence. They have come out and they have told me and, my gosh, is makes me feel so good."

Laura Hanrahan Laura is a NYC-based freelance writer.

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