'Jeopardy' Producer Reveals Sweet Way Alex Trebek Spent His Final Day

The world has lost a legend.

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On November 8th, it was confirmed that the Jeopardy! host had tragically died at the age of eighty.

The tributes were quick to flood in...

From celebrities and fans of the show alike.

Now, for those of you that don't know, Trebek had hosted the popular quiz show for over thirty years.

The beloved TV personality took over for the second run of the show after producers decided to bring it back to life.

But Trebek wasn't just a TV host - he was essentially America's dad.

He knew all the answers, and his deep, calming voice was a constant source of knowledge and entertainment for us for so many years.

But, last year, Trebek had some sad news to share with us.

In a video posted on the official Jeopardy! Twitter account, he explained: "Just like 50,000 other people in the United States each year, this week, I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Now, normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working, and with the love and support of my family and friends and with the help of your prayers also, I plan to beat the low survival rates statistics for this disease."

But this wasn't Trebek's first health scare.

He went on hiatus in January of 2018 after undergoing surgery to remove blood clots from his brain. But, miraculously, he quickly bounced back, better than ever.

And, for a while, it looked like our prayers had been answered.

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Because it was announced that Trebek was returning back to work as the host of Jeopardy!. After the initial scare, we'd all been waiting in anticipation for this moment.

However, the host was still battling the disease.

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Even though he was not technically in remission, Trebek has vowed that he would keep working while he was "on the mend." He said: "I plan to beat the low survival-rate statistics for this disease."

It's needless to say, fans were delighted to see his return.

The new season of Jeopardy! premiered on September 9th, and Trebek put on one hell of a show.

But fans were then hit with even more heartbreaking news.

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Following a loss of twelve pounds in a single week, plus seeing his "numbers go sky-high," Trebek announced that he was undergoing chemotherapy once more.

"The doctors have decided that I have to undergo chemo again and that's what I'm doing."

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"Cancer is mysterious in more ways than one."

Trebek offered more insight into his battle.

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He explained how he was experiencing "excruciating pain" in his back, along with nausea and fatigue.

"So we're back on the chemo."

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"We'll see if the numbers go down. And if they do... they can't keep doing it forever of course."

"They’ll have to find a new protocol or whatever to administer."

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"We'll play it by ear and keep chugging along until we either win or lose."

He remained dedicated to his job throughout his full ordeal, however...

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And Trebek insisted on working "as long as my skills do not diminish."

"I’m sure there are observant members of the television audience that notice also, but they’re forgiving."

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“But there will come a point when they (fans and producers) will no longer be able to say, ‘It’s okay.’"

"I’m not afraid of dying."

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“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 of that?"

And, just before his death, he revealed who he would like to step into his role on Jeopardy!

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During an interview with Good Morning America earlier this year, the host revealed he would like his longtime friend Betty White to replace him on the show. 

He believed that she would be perfect for the job.

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"I have no say whatsoever in who will replace me when my days as the host of Jeopardy! end. But I joked with the audience and said Betty White because they want somebody younger and somebody funnier."

Well, on Sunday, the tragic day finally came.

TMZ reported that Trebek had lost his battle to pancreatic cancer.

The Jeoprady! Twitter account quickly confirmed the reports...

While informing his fans that he had "passed away peacefully at home" surrounded by family and friends.

And, as the grief continues over his passing, Jeopardy's executive producer Mike Richards has shared some touching details about the beloved star's final day.

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Revealing that he spent it exactly how he always wanted.

Richards spoke to Today's Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb on Monday

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"He was incredibly hardworking, he cared about this show, he cared about the importance of the show and that it helped people want to be smarter...He made being smart cool."

Behind the scenes, he was a real family man...

"I think the greatest thing about him was how much he loved his family. "Of all of the things he did and all of his accomplishments, his greatest accomplishment to him was his family and his love of his life."

He continued...

"He didn't enjoy being overly complimented or fawned over," Richards continued. "He was Alex Trebek and he didn't suffer that kind of bloviating, as he would describe it."

He then went on to explain the star "had a swing in his backyard that he loved."

"Even in his book he described that he wanted his final day to be sitting on his swing next to his wife Jean and kind of watching the horizon and he got to do that. He was coherent, he wasn't in pain and the fact that he had a nice final day, I think makes all of us in the Jeopardy! family feel much better." The world really has lost a legend. Rest in peace, Alex Trebek. For more on the terrible tragedies that this year has brought us, keep on scrolling...