Alex Trebek is the host of the eminently popular game show ‘Jeopardy!’ which he has been presenting since 1984. ‘Jeopardy!’ is a television game program in which the contestants are shown with general knowledge solutions for which they have to develop the questions. Trebek was elected to host its syndicated version and verified to be a very efficient host. Prior to hosting this game show, he had hosted several other shows like ‘Pitfall’ and ‘The Wizard of Odds.’ As a college student, he resolved to study philosophy, though he recognized over the duration of his course that he wished to attempt a career in journalism.
He started his professional life as a reporter and broadcaster for ‘CBC’ where he trained in national news. Even though he was very prosperous as a newscaster, he finally transferred over to hosting game shows. A native of Canada, he hosted the Canadian quiz show ‘Reach for the Top’ for seven years before propelling to the U.S. to further his career. One of his introductory jobs in the U.S. was to host the new game show, ‘The Wizard of Odds.’ He attained new heights of success when he was elected to host the syndicated story of the game show ‘Jeopardy!’ for which he has won different ‘Daytime Emmy Awards.’
Alex Trebek Wiki/Bio
Birth Name | George Alexander Trebek |
Nick Name | Alex |
Age | (as in 2023) 83 Years |
Religion | Christian |
Sun Sign/Zodiac Sign | Cancer |
Birth Place | Sudbury, Ontario, Canada |
Date of Birth | 22 July 1940 |
Nationality | Canadian |
Residence | Los Angeles, United States |
Home Town | Sudbury |
Hobbies | Not Available |
Family |
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Mother’s Name | Lucille Lagacé |
Father’s Name | George Edward Trebek (Chef) |
Brother | None |
Sister | Barbara Trebek |
Others | • William Trebek (Paternal Grandfather) • Vera Shauchuck (Paternal Grandmother) • Benjamin Lagacé (Maternal Grandfather) • Sophie-Adelaïde Bélanger (Maternal Grandmother) |
Girlfriends/Affairs |
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Affairs/Girlfriends | Elaine Callei (1974-1981) |
Marital Status, Wife and Children |
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Wife/Spouse | Elaine Callei (1974-1981) Jean Currivan (1990-Present) |
Marriage Date | Not Available |
Children | Son- Matthew Trebek Daughter- Emily Trebek |
Education |
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School | • Sudbury Secondary School • Malvern Collegiate Institute |
College/University | • University of Ottawa • University of Toronto Mississauga |
Educational Qualification | Graduated |
Profession | Television Personality, Game Show Host, Actor |
Brands Endorsed | • National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board (Print ad) (1999) • WebTV (1999) • Sundown Herbals (1999) • Conseco Direct Life (1999) • The Phonics Game (1998) • Colonial Penn Insurance • Holiday Inn Express (2003) • Alaska Airlines (Radio commercials) (1998) • Emerald Downs Racetrack (TV and Radio commercials) • DirecTV (2010) • Wheat Thins crackers (2012) |
Career Manager | Not Available |
Height, Weight, and Figure Measurements |
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Height (Approx.) | in centimeters- 173 cm in meters- 1.73 m in feet inches- 5’8” |
Weight (Approx.) | in kilograms- 68 kg in pounds- 150 lbs |
Figure Measurements |
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Chest Size | Not Available |
Biceps Size | Not Available |
Waist Size | Not Available |
Extra Ordinary Features |
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Race / Ethnicity | White |
Hair Color | White |
Eye Color | Dark Brown |
S*xual Orientation | Straight |
Dress Size | Not Available |
Shoe Size | Not Available |
Favourite Things |
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Favourite Author | Mark Twain |
Controversies | None |
Life Journey
Alex Trebek was born on July 22, 1940, in Sudbury, Canada, a large city in northern Ontario. His mother, Lucille Trebek, was a French-Canadian woman with some First Nations ancestry. His father, George Trebek, was a Ukrainian immigrant who functioned as a chef at a local hotel.
“My dad drank pretty heavily, and he never missed a day of task in his life,” Trebek reveals. Trebek describes his father as a hoarder of knickknacks that had a way of proving useful years later. “His basic philosophy was don’t throw out something because someday it’ll come in handy,” he says about his father.
A bright and inquisitive child from a very young age, Trebek attended Jesuit schools until the age of 12, when he decided to leave Sudbury to attend the University of Ottawa High School in the Canadian capital. “Sudbury is a more secluded memory,” he now admits, “because I was born there and raised there, but I quit to go away to boarding school.”
After graduating from high school in 1957, Trebek continued on to the University of Ottawa to study philosophy. Upon graduation in 1961, Trebek concluded to ditch philosophy and pursue a career in journalism. He landed his first job as a fill-in reporter and newscaster with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC TV.
Although he quickly earned a reputation for his cool on-screen demeanor, in 1966 he decided to shift his focus from journalism to the more lucrative field of hosting game shows. He became the host of the Canadian quiz show Reach for the Top, which pitted teams of high school students against each other in academic competitions.
In 1970, Trebek graduated to hosting the more prominent, nationally televised Canadian game show Jackpot.
He married Elaine Callei in 1974. The marriage finished in divorce in 1981. His second marriage was to Jean Currivan in 1990. The couple has two children. He is actively engaged with the charitable organization ‘World Vision’ and has traveled to many third world countries to implement the organization’s projects.
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On December 11, 2007, Trebek suffered a tiny heart attack in his home, but returned to work as scheduled in January. He injured an Achilles tendon while chasing a burglar who had introduced his San Francisco hotel room on July 27, 2011. He suffered a mild heart attack on June 23, 2012, but returned to work in July.
On March 6, 2019, Trebek announced that he had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer.
Alex Trebek Net Worth and Salary
Alex Trebek has a net worth of $90 million.
Estimated Net Worth in 2023 (Approx) | $90 Million |
Estimated Net Worth in 2022 (Approx) | $75 Million |
Estimated Net Worth in 2021 (Approx) | Under Review |
Annual Salary | Under Review |
Annual Salary from “Jeopardy!” | $18 Million |
Income Source | Television Personality, Game Show Host, Actor |
Trebek’s primary residence is a 10,000 square-foot mansion in Studio City, California that he purchased in 1991 for $2.15 million. In the mid-1990s he spent $4.1 million to buy a 724-acre horse ranch in the rural city of Creston, California. He sold the ranch in 2005 for $10 million. In 2016 he listed his 30-acre lake home in Nacimiento, California for $1.4 million.
Alex Trebek Jeopardy Salary
Trebek’s annual salary from “Jeopardy!” is $18 million. The show tapes 46 days a year, and he records five episodes per day. In other words, he receive around $391,000 every taping day, $78,000 per particular episode. In resemblance to the hosts of another popular long-running game show Wheel of Fortune,” Vanna White’s salary is $208,333 per workday, and Pat Sajak’s salary is $312,500 per workday.
Breaking it down per show, Pat earns $52,083 per show and Vanna earns $34,722 per show. In 2018, Alex, Pat, and Vanna all renewed their commitments with Sony Pictures Television through 2022.
In addition to his hosting characters, Trebek has emerged on an extensive array of shows as either a panelist or player. Along with many other game show hosts like Allen Ludden, Bill Cullen, Wink Martindale, Jack Clark, and Gene Rayburn, he competed in a week-long round-robin tournament on NBC’s “Card Sharks” in 1980 for charity. He ended up actually winning the tournament.
He also emerged on “The Magnificent Marable Machine” in 1975, and “To Say the Least” in 1978, both NBC shows. Alongside Jim McKrell, Trebek competed on “Celebrity Bowling” in 1976, and the duo receive their match against Dick Gautier and Scatman Crothers.
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Alex Trebek Movies, TV Shows And Hosting
- Trebek’s first hosting work was for a Canadian music program called ‘Music Hop’ in 1963.
- Trebek hosted the short-lived ‘CBS’ game show ‘Double Dare’ which turned out to be his particularly game show with the ‘CBS’ network.
- He started his journalistic career as a newscaster and sportscaster with the ‘CBC’ channel. His especiality was national news and he soon received a reputation for being a cool-headed and trustworthy journalist. He covered several special events for his channels’ radio and television divisions.
- Even though his character as a newscaster was much appreciated, he changed gears and became the host of the Canadian quiz show ‘Reach for the Top’ in 1966 in which teams of high school students competed against each other.
- He trveled to the U.S. in 1973 to further his career. His first work there was to host the new ‘NBC’ game show ‘The Wizard of Odds.’ The show was short-lived as it lasted only one season.
- He initiated hosting the game show ‘High Rollers’ in 1974. He was in the show for its two runs, from 1974-76, and 1978-80, and also in its syndicated season during 1975-76.
- During 1977-78 he hosted the second season of ‘The $128,000 Question.’ In the show, each participant was quizzed under a category of their expertise. The show never joined high viewership ratings and was discontinued after the second season.
- After hosting so many game shows, he became very popular as a show host and was invited to make several guest arrivals as a panelist or player on several other shows, including NBC’s ‘Card Sharks’ and ‘The Magnificent Marble Machine.’
- Trebek also emerged as a celebrity teammate on the ‘NBC’ game show ‘The Magnificent Marble Machine’ in 1975. He also emerged in the Tom Kennedy-hosted ‘NBC’ word game ‘To Say the Least’ in 1978.
- Trebek traveled on to host ‘Battlestars’ for ‘NBC.’ The series debuted in October 1981 and was canceled in April 1982.
- In September 1981, Trebek initiated hosting a Canadian game show titled ‘Pitfall.’
- Trebek returned to daytime television as host of NBC’s ‘Classic Concentration,’ his second show for Mark Goodson.
- Trebek come back to the ‘CBS’ network for the first time since hosting ‘Double Dare’ to host a cooking contest titled ‘The Pillsbury Bake-Off,’ which he hosted until 1998.
- He was asked to host the syndicated version of the game show ‘Jeopardy!’ which was created by Merv Griffin who had also created the ‘Wheel of Fortune.’ Trebek began hosting the show in 1984.
- ‘Jeopardy!’ is a unique game show in which the contestants are provided with clues in the form of answers. The contestants then have to phrase their responses in the form of questions. The show was very popular and was the winner of several ‘Daytime Emmy Awards.’
- He created history in 1991 when he became the first person in American broadcast history to host three-game shows at the same time ‘Jeopardy!,’ ‘Classic Concentration,’ and ‘To Tell the Truth.’
- He also emerged on ‘Celebrity Poker Showdown’ in 2005. He came in second place in his qualifying game, losing to Cheryl Hines.
- On June 24, 2018, Trebek come back as a panelist on ABC’s revival of ‘To Tell the Truth.
Hosted Shows List |
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1963–1964 | Music Hop |
1964 | Vacation Time |
1966–1970 | CBC Championship Curling |
1966–1973 | Reach for the Top |
1969 | Barris & Company Strategy |
1971 | Pick and Choose |
1972 | Outside/Inside |
1973 | TGIF The Wizard of Odds |
1974–1976, 1978–1980 | High Rollers (NBC) |
1976–1977 | Double Dare (CBS) |
1976–1980 | Stars on Ice (CTV) |
1977–1978 | The $128,000 Question |
1980–1981 | Wall $treet |
1981–1982 | Pitfall |
1981–1983 | Battlestars |
1983 | Malcolm (pilot) Starcade (pilot) |
1984–present | Jeopardy! |
1985 | Lucky Numbers (pilot) |
1987 | VTV-Value Television |
1987–1991 | Classic Concentration |
1989–2013 | The National Geographic Bee national finals |
1990 | Super Jeopardy! |
1991 | To Tell the Truth (1990–1991) |
1993 | The Red Badge of Courage/Heart of Courage |
1996–1998 | The Pillsbury Bake-Off |
1997 | Wheel of Fortune |
1999 | Live from the Hollywood Bowl |
2017 | Game Changers |
2020 | Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time |
Movies and TV Shows List |
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1987 | Mama’s Family |
1988 | For Keeps Rain Man |
1990 | Cheers Predator 2 The Earth Day Special |
1991 | WrestleMania VII |
1992 | The Golden Girls White Men Can’t Jump |
1993 | Short Cuts Groundhog Day The Larry Sanders Show Rugrats |
1995 | The Nanny Beverly Hills, 90210 Blossom Jury Duty |
1996 | The X-Files Seinfeld The Magic School Bus Ellen’s Energy Adventure |
1997 | Ned and Stacey The Simpsons |
1998 | Baywatch The Weird Al Show Mafia! |
2000 | Finding Forrester Charlie’s Angels Saturday Night Live Arthur Pepper Ann |
2002 | Saturday Night Live |
2006 | Family Guy |
2008 | The Bucket List |
2010 | How I Met Your Mother |
2013 | How I Met Your Mother Delta Air Lines Hot in Cleveland Delta Air Lines The Colbert Report (series finale) |
2015 | The Amazing Race Canada Orange Is the New Black |
2018 | RuPaul’s Drag Race |
Health Problems and Cancer Diagnosis
After hitting his head in a bad fall in October 2017, Trebek was suffered with subdural hematoma in December. He went through surgery the following day, prompting the need to go on hiatus from his hosting works, but Trebek soon made sure to reassure fans via a video posted to the game show’s website: “After two days in the hospital, I came home to initiate recovery,” he said. “The prognosis is great, and I expect to be back in the studio taping more ‘Jeopardy!’ programs very, very soon!”
In March 2019, Trebek left a bombshell with the announcement that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Delivering the news in a video posted to YouTube, the TV mainstay said he planned to ending out the season of Jeopardy! “Now, normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to face this, and I’m going to keep working,” he vowed.
A few months later, Trebek confessed that he was in near remission. “It’s kind of mind-boggling,” he told People for its June 10, 2019, cover story. “The doctors said they hadn’t seen this kind of positive result in their memory … some of the tumors have already shrunk by more than 50 percent.” When asked why he felt he was responding so well to chemotherapy, the host credited the “positive energy” relayed by numerous well-wishers.
In mid-September, Trebek confessed on Good Morning America that he was undergoing another round of chemotherapy. The following March, he again took to social media to commemorate his reaching the one-year anniversary of his diagnosis.
Facts
- He performed as a garbage man in Cincinnati, United States, but turned to his country Canada to finish his studies in 1961.
- He had always wished to be a news anchor and was even a member of his college English Debating Society.
- While he was still a college student, Alex wished to make a career in broadcast news and event before the completion of his degree, he started working with CBC in 1961.
- The last year of his college life was very frenzied as he attended school in the mornings and worked at night. According to him, he pursued so much that at one time, he had replaced “every announcer in every possible job”.
- After working mindlessly, he finally got to read the national news. He was also on CBC’s radio and television divisions and covered a variety of special events.
- In 1963, he got his first hosting job which was on Music Hop, a Canadian music program.
- Alex began hosting the resurgence of Jeopardy in 1984. On May 2, 2017, his contract with the show was renewed till 2020.
- He came a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1998.
- Alex grew up in a bilingual French-English environment. Hence, he is a eloquent English and French speaker. He can also speak some German, Italian, Spanish, and Russian.
- In 2014, he was admired by the Guinness World Record as the person who has hosted the most game show episodes for the same program.
- Alex does not have any social media accounts.
FAQs
“Jeopardy!” Host Alex Trebek Shared A Health Update, Exactly One Year After Revealing His Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis. “The One-year Survival Rate For Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer Patients Is 18 Percent,” Trebek, 79, Said In A Video Posted To Social Media. “I’m Very Happy To Report I’ve Just Reached That Marker.”
Alex Trebek Reportedly Has An IQ Of 143, Though That Information Is Pointedly Listed As Un-verified.
Trebek Is Scheduled To Host The Show Until 2022, According To The New York Times. As Someone Who’s Worked As A Game Show Host For More Than 50 Years, Naturally, Trebek Has Thought About Retirement.
Five Months After Being Diagnosed With Pancreatic Cancer, Jeopardy Host Alex Trebek Has Returned To Work On The Game Show. Trebek Is Currently Taping Episodes For The Show’s 36Th Season, The Hollywood Reporter Has Confirmed. The New Season Premieres Sept.
Trebek, Who Has Hosted Jeopardy! Since 1984, Announced Last March That He’d Been Diagnosed With Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer. He Returned To Work In August After A Successful Round Of Chemotherapy, But Recently Suffered A Setback In His Treatment And Restarted Chemotherapy.