The Answer Is ‘Jeopardy! Host Alex Trebek Celebrating 80th Birthday’

Alex Trebek, long-time host of Jeopardy!, is celebrating his 80th birthday today, July 22, just a day after the release of his memoir.

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Milestone Birthday for Alex Trebek

The Jeopardy! Twitter account wished Trebek a happy birthday with a special video it created for the momentous day featuring past contestants.

The video begins with Trebek himself announcing he is turning 80, followed by a can’t-believe-it “ooh” from the host. Then people like James Holzhauer, who last year won $250,000 as the victor in the 2019 Tournament of Champions, deliver birthday wishes.

The video ends with a now-bearded Trebek thanking everyone for the warm wishes. “I want to thank you for the many birthday wishes, you really know how to make a guy feel special,” he said.

Trebek’s new memoir, The Answer Is … Reflections on My Life, is dedicated to “those who are hoping to become survivors” and details his battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which he was diagnosed with only last year.

The book details his rise from growing up in a working-class home in Ontario to heading to California and making it in the entertainment biz, most notably spending 36 years and 8,132 episodes as host of Jeopardy!

The intro of the book notes some of what fans read “may even shock you,” and Trebek explained the only reason he finally agreed to publish a memoir was to stay ahead of the tabloids.

Still, his life isn’t that juicy with facts like he adores his wife and kids, enjoys soup, and his favorite philosopher is Mark Twain. Even when the book touches on what might be considered scandalous — his divorce from his first wife — ends up being mighty tame, as the two were so amicable that they lived across the street from one another.

Jeopardy! is currently running classic episodes until Trebek can get back in the studio and begin another year, something he plans to do for as long as he lives. Entertainment Hub wishes Alex Trebek the happiest of birthdays and many more.