If you caught Monday night’s episode of Jeopardy !, then you probably got a little misty-eyed during the Final Jeopardy round.
The moment came when beloved host Alex Trebek read out contestant Dhruv Gaur’s answer: “We <3 you Alex!” The answer — cost him $1995, bringing him down to $5 — may have been incorrect, but it was not wrong.
In a rare turn for the mostly stoic host, Trebek was visibly choked up, telling Gaur, “That’s very kind of you. Thank you.”
Trebek, 79, announced he was reentering treatment for pancreatic cancer just prior to the episode being filmed, and had informed the contestants just before they began to play. He originally announced his stage IV diagnosis back in March. After undergoing chemotherapy, his cancer was in remission. But in September, he discovered he would need to go through another round of chemo. Trebek said he would keep filming the series “as long as my skills do not diminish.”
After the episode aired, the hashtag #WeLoveYouAlex began trending on social media. In response, Gaur tweeted, “I’m really glad I got the opportunity to say to Alex what everybody at the tournament was thinking. We were all hurting for him so badly. … When Final Jeopardy came up, I could’ve tried to puzzle it together, but really, just kept thinking about Alex, and thought he should know.”
Last week, other Jeopardy contestants announced they are organizing a charitable play-along to help raise money for pancreatic cancer research. Meanwhile, Trebek has been raising awareness, and has partnered with the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition.
Trebek, who has hosted the popular game-show for 35 years, recently told CTV News, “I’m not afraid of dying. I’ve lived a good life, a full life, and I’m nearing the end of that life. … If it happens, why should I be afraid that?”
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