Alex Trebek Opens Up on Filming While in Treatment: 'I Writhed in Pain'

The news of “Jeopardy!” host, Alex Trebek, being diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer left the nation heartbroken, and he’s just opened up about how painful treatment has been for him. 

In the midst of filming “Jeopardy!’s” 35th anniversary season, Trebek reveals to “CBS Sunday Morning” that he “writhed in pain” in between shoots. When asked by producers if he’d like to cancel filming for the day, Trebek insisted that they would continue. After taking medication for the pain, he was able to get through the rest of the filming. 

It wasn’t just an isolated instance, though. The “Jeopardy!” host disclosed, “It happened three or four times a day while we were taping. So that was a little rough on me.” 

Trebek remains hopeful, even admitting that the hairpiece he’s been sporting in recent episodes probably “looked better” than his real hair. He looks forward to plans for the 36th year of “Jeopardy!” and jokes that he hopes his own hair will have grown back by the time they get rolling on it in September. "'Cause I like my own hair!," he quips. 

Trebek is looking forward to the summer off so he can focus on healing and gearing up for “all kinds of good stuff” to come. 

Trebek found out about his cancer diagnosis early this year after seeing his doctor about stomach pains. It was then that they found a lump the size of a small fist in his abdomen. He announced the news and his eagerness to fight the disease in a brief video to his fans.