Legendary 'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek dead at 80

November 8, 2020November 8, 2020 WKXA

Amanda Edwards/Getty ImagesBY: JUSTIN DOOM AND TROY MCMULLEN, ABC NEWS

(NEW YORK) — Alex Trebek, the quick-witted and debonair television host who won over generations of fans at the helm of the popular quiz show “Jeopardy!,” has died after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80.

Trebek died early Sunday morning at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by family and friends, according to a statement released by Jeopardy! officials.

“This is an enormous loss for the JEOPARDY! staff, crew and all of Alex’s millions of fans. He was a legend of the industry that we were all lucky to watch night after night for 37 years,” Mike Richards, the show’s executive producer, said in a statement. “Working beside him for the past year and a half as he heroically continued to host JEOPARDY! was an incredible honor. His belief in the importance of the show and his willingness to push himself to perform at the highest level was the most inspiring demonstration of courage I have ever seen. His constant desire to learn, his kindness, and his professionalism will be with all of us forever.”