Alex Trebek Opens Up About His Career, Cancer and More in New Memoir ‘The Answer Is’

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Alex Trebek Opens Up About His Career, Cancer and More in New Memoir 'The Answer Is'

Telling all. Alex Trebek has been in the spotlight for more than 30 years but has never been more candid than in his new book, The Answer Is ... Reflections on My Life. The longtime Jeopardy! host has felt like a family member to countless game show viewers throughout his successful career and never felt compelled to share his life story until his stage IV pancreatic cancer diagnosis sent shockwaves through Hollywood in 2019. "I want people to know a little more about the person they have been cheering on for the past year," he writes, acknowledging that the love and support he's received from fans during his health journey has been overwhelming. Trebek first shared details of his diagnosis in March 2019 and said that he had every intention of fighting the disease, despite its low survival rate. More than one year later — and days before his milestone 80th birthday — the Canadian TV personality said he was "feeling great" and hoping to return to filming the popular game show soon enough. In his eye-opening memoir, Trebek takes readers back to the very beginning, describing his upbringing in Ontario with mother Lucille Lagacé, father George Edward Trebek and sister Barbara. While he didn't come from much, his humble childhood made a significant impact on the man he became. [jwplayer iAFUDvXG-l3ahXupL] "I'm the typical product of my generation: a hardworking breadwinner who looks after his family; does all the repairs he can around the house; enjoys watching television; and thinks a simple dinner of fried chicken, broccoli, and rice is just fine," he writes. "I have never seen myself as anything special." Through all of his ups and downs — including the loss of close loved ones, his divorce from ex Elaine Trebek Kares and numerous health setbacks — the pop culture icon has done his best to keep a positive outlook on life. Now that he's facing an uphill battle with pancreatic cancer, he's preparing himself for the worst. "Of the thousands of letters, texts, and emails I've received since announcing my diagnosis, many of them have mentioned my courage. But that's not the way I look at courage," he writes. "Courage is a conscious decision ... Here, there's no choice. I've been diagnosed with a disease that is probably going to kill me. And probably sooner than later. So courage does not enter into it." Scroll down for six major revelations from The Answer Is — and pick up the book for even more. [podcast_block]

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Best Celeb Encounter

Nearly two decades before Trebek became a household name, he'd already had his most memorable celebrity encounter while working for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In 1967, the country celebrated its "centennial year," and hosted a number of special guests to honor the milestone achievement. "There were also many dignitaries, foremost among them Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip," he recalls. "The Queen got to me and said, 'Good show. Please tell me your name, and where you are from.' And as I began answering her, I couldn't help but notice that she glanced over her shoulder to see where Prince Philip was. ... So, the Queen was stuck talking to me for 4 or 5 minutes. That night my phone was ringing off the hook." They met once more the next day — but the monarch didn't remember their first encounter.

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Pot Brownie Incident

While growing up, Trebek didn't indulge in alcohol, cigarettes or other drugs. Though he's still not a big drinker, he "did have one unintentional experience with drugs" at a party in Malibu. "There were chocolate brownies on a plate," he writes. "The hosts said, 'Go ahead, help yourself.' I had four or five of them. I did not realize they were hash brownies. The drugs knocked me out so much I spent the weekend laid out in their guest bedroom and didn't leave their home until Monday morning."

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Soulmates

From 1974 to 1981, Trebek was married to former Canada AM cohost Elaine Trebek Kares (née Callei). The two had an "amicable" divorce and remained close friends through the years, and Trebek later remarried in 1990. "I wasn't looking for love," he writes. "But with Jean [Currivan], I recognized at a gut level that here was someone who was going to complete me as a human being. ... I don't know if Jeanie was as instantly certain about me as I was about her. I think at first she might’ve thought I was a bit of a jerk." The couple got engaged "on a whim" and later welcomed two children, Matthew and Emily. "The most challenging thing about fatherhood is that it introduced an element of fear into my life," he admits. "It's not just the kids I worry about. It's Jeanie too."

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A Number of Health Scares

"I actually started wearing a hairpiece in early 2018, about a year before I made my initial announcement about my cancer diagnosis," Trebek reveals, noting that he experienced several setbacks with his health before coming forward with news of his cancer. "There were numerous handyman-incurred bumps and bruises, kidney stones, and not one but two heart attacks.” After a scary fall at his home in Lake Nacimiento, California, he began to have trouble with his balance. An MRI showed that he had "major blood clots on both sides of [his] brain," leading to the decision to wear a hairpiece. Going through a handful of health scares, and particularly his cancer diagnosis, has made him relearn what it means to be brave. "The longer I’ve lived with the cancer, the more my definition of toughness has changed. I used to think not crying meant you were tough," he explains. "Now, I think crying means you're tough. It means you're strong enough to be honest and vulnerable. It means you're not pretending."

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Ready for Retirement?

Trebek hosted his first episode of Jeopardy! in 1984 and has been a staple of the series ever since — but he knows it can't last forever. "I know there will come a time when I can no longer do my job as host—do it as well as the job demands, as well as I demand. Part of it is physical. Standing on your feet for eleven hours two days in a row is difficult for someone who's about to turn eighty, even without getting worn down by chemotherapy," he writes, detailing the side effects of his cancer treatment. "But part of it is mental too. ... I'm not as sharp as I once was. ... Whenever it gets to that point, I'll walk away [and] Jeopardy! will be just fine."

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Arranging His Affairs

Though his most recent tests revealed optimistic results, Trebek is still keeping a realistic mindset when it comes to his cancer battle. "I'm not afraid of dying," he writes, noting that he talked to his family about stopping treatment if the chemotherapy isn't successful. "Quality of life was an important consideration. ... One thing they're not going to say at my funeral as part of the eulogy is, 'He was taken from us too soon.' I'm about to turn 80. I've lived a good, full life, and I'm nearing the end of it. I know that. The only thing that might bother me is if I pass on before I get to have grandchildren. (Hint, hint.)"