Alex Trebek dead: Ryan Reynolds and Jamie Lee Curtis lead tributes to Jeopardy! host following death aged 80
Celebrities have paid tribute to Alex Trebek following the news of his death at the age of 80.
The official account for Jeopardy!, the game show he hosted since 1984, shared the news of his death on Twitter.
‘Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends. Thank you, Alex,’ the statement read.
Tributes immediately came flooding in for the television personality, who revealed in March 2019 that he was suffering from stage four pancreatic cancer.
‘Very sorry to hear the news about Alex Trebek. Condolences to his family,’ wrote actor William Shatner.
‘The answer is….. THANK YOU! Alex Trebek. You were grace and guts and humor and deep love,’ tweeted Scream star Jamie Lee Curtis.
‘RIP #AlexTrebek. What an icon,’ said Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness, while Frozen star Josh Gad wrote: ‘This MF year. Heartbroken.’
Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds recalled Trebek ‘kindly’ cameoing on his film Free Guy last year in spite of the Jeopardy! host’s cancer diagnosis.
‘Alex Trebek was kind enough to film a cameo for our film Free Guy last year despite his battle,’ the actor wrote.
‘He was gracious and funny. In addition to being curious, stalwart, generous, reassuring and of course, Canadian. We love you, Alex. And always will.’
Star Trek actor George Takei thanked Trebek for sharing ‘so much knowledge, both important and fun, through the years’.
‘Your final battle with cancer was heroic, and we are heartbroken that it has taken you from us,’ he wrote.
‘The heavens have all the answers now.’
Meanwhile television host Ryan Seacrest described Trebek as being ‘like a family member who I watched every night’.
Born in Ontario, Canada in 1940, Trebek began his career in the early 1960s, working for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
After moving to the US in the early 1970s, Trebek hosted game shows including The Wizard of Odds and High Rollers, going on to host the revival of game show Jeopardy! just over a decade later.
Earlier this year, Trebek shared an update on his cancer diagnosis, telling Good Morning America: ‘I’d be lying if I said the journey had been an easy one. There were some good days, but a lot of not-so-good days.’
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