Alex Trebek Wheel Of Fortune
Host Alex Trebek, 80, and 'Wheel of Fortune' hosts Pat Sajak, 73, and Vanna White, 63 — in statement to USA TODAY. 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Jeopardy' are returning to the studio to tape episodes. Nov 09, 2020 The legendary “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek sadly passed away on Sunday at the age of 80 following a long battle with pancreatic cancer. In the wake of his passing, “Wheel Of Fortune” stars Pat Sajak and Vanna White have spoken out to pay tribute to him. Nov 08, 2020 Trebek became close friends with the Wheel of Fortune hosts, as the shows aired back-to-back in many markets and were both produced by Sony. After Trebek announced his cancer diagnosis in March 2019, White told Closer Weekly she was supporting her friend 100 percent. 'We've known each other for over 30 years, of course,' she said in May 2019.
Two of the most highly successful game shows of all time on the air right now are Jeopardy!, hosted by Alex Trebek, and Wheel of Fortune, with Pat Sajak at the helm.
Both men have been at the front of their respective shows for nearly forty years, an astounding length of time.
So, are these contemporaries just industry colleagues, or good friends?
Both hosts had health issues in 2019
Sajak had emergency surgery for a blocked intestine in November 2019. The show issued a statement at that time via Twitter saying, “Our taping on Thursday was canceled because host Pat Sajak underwent successful emergency surgery to correct a blocked intestine. He is resting comfortably and looking forward to getting back to work.”
The 73-year-old Sajak returned to his post earlier this year.
A post shared by Jeopardy! (@jeopardy) on
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As for Alex Trebek, as is well known, the Jeopardy! host’s news of his pancreatic cancer diagnosis in March 2019 shocked and saddened his fans and viewers. As of March 2020, Trebek’s doctors were thrilled to mark his one-year survival. The Canadian-born Trebek issued a statement thanking fans for their steadfast support.
“You know my oncologist tried to cheer me up the other day,” Trebek said. “He said, ‘Alex, even though the two-year survival rate is only 7%,’ he was certain that one year from now, the two of us would be sitting in his office celebrating my second anniversary of survival.”
Both have been hosts of their respective shows for almost 4 decades
Both Alex Trebek and Pat Sajak have, incredibly, been hosts of their programs for nearly forty years. Trebek began his hosting duties in 1984, while Sajak became host of Wheel of Fortune a few years earlier in 1981.
Sajak talked to the Television Academy Foundation in a 2007 interview about the appeal of his game show, co-hosted by Vanna White, which millions of viewers have made part of their daily ritual.
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“We became in this strange way part of people’s lives, almost their life cycle,” Sajak said. “It was dinner time, they played ‘Wheel’ – we just became part of the atmosphere. It’s kind of like the sunset: you might not go out and watch it every night, but it’s nice to know it’s out there.”
Are Pat Sajak and Alex Trebek friends?
As friendly as the two game show hosts are, according to The Week in a 2013 conversation with Sajak, the men aren’t particularly close.
In the interview, the Chicago-born Sajak briefly opened up about whether he and fellow television personality Alex Trebek are close.
In typical Sajak style, the Wheel host explained their relationship succinctly with a humorous twist.
“We get along fine,” Sajak said of the Jeopardy! icon, “but we’re not in the same bowling league.”
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© Provided by RADIO.COMWith the news of Alex Trebek's passing on November 8 comes memories of some of the 'Jeopardy!' host's special moments.
Many celebrities, including 'Wheel of Fortune' stars Pat Sajak and Vanna White, are mourning their colleague and friend Trebek's death.
'Alex Trebek's courage, grace and strength inspired millions and awed those of us who knew him,' Sajak wrote in a tweet. 'A tremendous loss for his family, friends, co-workers and countless viewers. I was honored to be a friend and a part of his professional family for all these years. A very sad day.'
Wheel Of Fortune Official Site
Alex Trebek's courage, grace and strength inspired millions and awed those of us who knew him. A tremendous loss for his family, friends, co-workers and countless viewers. I was honored to be a friend and a part of his professional family for all these years. A very sad day.
-- Pat Sajak (@patsajak) November 8, 2020Sajak's co-star, White, posted throwback photos of her with Trebek, on both sets of 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Jeopardy!'
'I will cherish the many memories I have shared with Alex Trebek that date back well before either of our careers took off,' she captioned the photos on Instagram. 'I will always be in awe of the way he faced the battle he fought so valiantly, and I'm devastated to lose my longtime friend.'
'My heart is with his family, friends, co-workers and fans,' she added. 'There will never be another Alex Trebek and he will truly be missed.'
A post shared by Vanna White (@officialvannawhite) on Nov 8, 2020 at 12:18pm PST
Sajak and White shared a special memory they had with Trebek.
Two of the most successful game shows had a little fun during a special April Fools Day episode in 1997. 'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek hosted an episode of 'Wheel of Fortune' where Vanna and Pat played as contestants playing for charity.
Trebek's co-host was Lesly Brown, Pat's wife. This wasn't Trebek's first go-around behind the wheel; he used to fill in for Chuck Woolery back in the day and even filled in for Pat in 1985.
During the same episode, Pat and Vanna pretended to be married and, as a result, had to send back a lot of toasters they received from excited fans.
The longtime host passed away at the age of 80 after battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer since March 2019.
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