Answer: In his new memoir, The Answer Is..., this beloved host of long-running quiz show Jeopardy! gives fans a peek at his 80 years on Earth while sharing his thoughts on his battle with stage IV pancreatic cancer.
Question: Who is Alex Trebek?
In the just-released book, the game show host takes readers on a journey that began eight decades ago in a shack behind his grandparents' home in a small town in Ontario, Canada, before bringing him stateside as the cherished host of one of syndicated TV's most enduring mainstays. It's something he admits he's been asked to do many times over the last 30 years, though his answer had always been the same: a resounding no.
"I've had no interest whatsoever. I didn't think I had anything pertinent to say to the world. And my life was not particularly exciting," Trebek writes in the book's introduction. "I've shown up to work at the same job for thirty-six years and have lived in the same house for thirty years. I respect and like my colleagues, and have a family that I dearly love. In this, I'm no different from many other people. I have never seen myself as anything special."
So, why now?
"Early in 2019, all of that changed when I was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer," he continues, explaining that the outpouring of support from fans across the globe after sharing his diagnosis helped him see that "there are millions of people out there who seem to care and who feel I have played an important part in their lives."
As he writes, the book is his way of recognizing that support while allowing people "to know a little more about the person they have been cheering on for the past year."
Through the "series of quick look-ins," as he describes them, readers get a glimpse at Trebek's life from the man who knows it best. And that includes his thoughts on where it goes from here as he continues to undergo treatment.
While the entire book is worth your time, we've gathered 20 of the biggest revelations from The Answer Is... The highlights of the highlights, if you will.
The Answer Is...: Reflections on My Life is available now.