Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek’s ongoing battle against stage IV pancreatic cancer appears to be going remarkably well, all things considered, and he hopes mark two years of survivorship next February. He previously stated, “I expect to be around,” but 80-year-old Trebek did concede to Good Morning America earlier this week that if this treatment fails, he won’t undertake any more “extraordinary measures” to ensure his survival.
More of Trebek’s GMA interview is now circulating, and one particular bit has to do with his suggestion of a new host, should the unthinkable happen. He is very much kidding in making this call, but here it is: “I joke with the audience all the time and I say, ‘Betty White,’ because they want somebody younger, somebody funnier.”
White may be funnier, but she is equally beloved and, of course, 98 years young, and people already worry about her every time her name trends on Twitter. No one could probably handle the sight of her taking the podium, and naturally, no one wants to even think of Jeopardy! needing a replacement host at any point.
Meanwhile, Trebek has already revealed changes to the schedule, and he further noted here that the set has been revamped to “separate the contestants and myself a little bit more from them.” They’re also doing online Covid-19 testing for all contestants as the pandemic continues. Watch the latest GMA snippet with Trebek below.
.@ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Alex Trebek reveals who he wants to replace him as the host of @Jeopardy! @tjholmeshttps://t.co/5Zv3PgE51D pic.twitter.com/Q0qSkgZp5u
— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 21, 2020