‘He was in enormous pain’: Jeopardy! producer describes ‘warrior’ Alex Trebek’s final days of filming

'He is strong. He sounds great. He's funny. And he's amazing’

Executive producer of Jeopardy! has described how Alex Trebek was an “absolute warrior” through his final days of filming “enormous pain”.  

In an interview with the Today Show on Monday, executive producer Mike Richards described Trebek’s “herculean” effort during his final string of Jeopardy! Episodes.

Trebek died of stage four pancreatic cancer on 8 November 2020, aged 80, just after he finished taping what would turn out to be his final episodes of the game show.

“He was, you know, ten days away from passing away. And you will not sense that in any of these [final] episodes. He is strong. He sounds great. He's funny. And he's amazing,” Mr Richards said.

The producer explained how he thought a “normal person” might not have persevered with filming as long as Trebek had, seeing he was receiving chemotherapy once a week while filming.  

“I think there was a level of professionalism,” Mr Richards added. “I think he really understood the importance of the show and what it meant to people, and to make what I have always said, he made being smart cool. So I think it was all of those things for him.”

Mr Richards recalled how in the week before the final episodes, Trebek was admitted to hospital but called him to insist he planned to keep filming and see the episodes out.

“He calls me and says, ‘Mike, I'm going to be fine. I'll be in to tape. I was able to eat Jello today,’” the producer explained.

“And I went, ‘Alex, that's great, but that doesn't mean you're going to be ready to host five episodes of a game show,’ which is an enormous amount of effort, and he said do not cancel. I will be there,” he said.

Trebek’s final Jeopardy! Episodes are airing between 4 January to 8 January. In the first of his final episodes on Monday, the beloved host imparted a message of kindness and generosity.

“I know you want to be generous with your family, your friends, your loved ones, but today I’d like you to go one step further,” Trebek said in the posthumous message. 

“I’d like you to open up your hands and open up your hearts to those who are still suffering because of Covid-19 – people who are suffering through no fault of their own.”

Mr Richards explained: “In this very special, unbelievable final week, he comes out and gives a talk about the importance of togetherness and sticking together and that the world is struggling, but we have to get through it together.”