Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Alex Trebek appears in first of final Jeopardy! episodes with posthumous message of hope

Late host continued to record episodes until right before his death

Roisin O'Connor
Tuesday 05 January 2021 09:29 GMT
Comments
Jeopardy! shares Alex Trebek Thanksgiving message

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The late Alex Trebek used the first in his final string of Jeopardy! episodes to deliver a message of kindness and generosity.

In Monday night’s (4 January) episode, the beloved host emphasised that it was the “season of giving”.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

The posthumous message was recorded in late October, but arrived as the US suffers continued turmoil during the pandemic.

Trebek concluded his introduction by encouraging viewers to do their bit in helping to make the world a better place.

“We’re trying to build a gentler, kinder society. If we all pitch in just a little bit, we’re going to get there,” he said.

Trebek died of stage four pancreatic cancer on 8 November, 2020, aged 80.

Throughout his illness, he provided fans with updates on his health along with continued messages of hope, via the show’s official social media channels.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in