Vanna White Shares Update on Alex Trebek's Health: 'The Show Must Go On'
Vanna White, a longtime co-host of “Wheel of Fortune,” recently gave an update on “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek as he continues to fight against stage four pancreatic cancer.
White, who is temporarily hosting “Wheel of Fortune” while Pat Sajak recovers from surgery, told Us Weekly that Trebek is in high spirits despite the grim diagnosis.
The beloved “Jeopardy!” host announced his diagnosis in March in a video uploaded to YouTube.
He vowed to fight the disease and to continue with his “longtime policy of being open and transparent” with fans.
“Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I’m going to fight this, and I’m going to keep working,” he said. “And with the love and support of my family and friends and with the help of your prayers also, I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease.”
For months it seemed like the treatments had worked.
But in September, Trebek’s cancer numbers had “skyrocketed,” leaving him to wonder how much longer he could host “Jeopardy!”
His chemotherapy treatments began to affect his ability to enunciate, but Trebek continued to stand firm on his promise from March to continue to host the show as long as possible.
“I’m sure there are observant members of the television audience that notice also, but they’re forgiving,” he told Canada’s CTV News in November.
“But there will come a point when [fans and producers] will no longer be able to say, ‘It’s OK.’”
He also added that he wasn’t afraid of dying and instead reflected on the “good” and “full” life he has lived.
On Tuesday White told Us Weekly that despite the roller coaster of good and bad news during his fight, Trebek has kept a “very positive attitude.”
“He’s doing good. He really is,” she said. “He looks good. I talked to him recently and he’s got a very positive attitude.”
She said she is proud of his commitment to openness and his bravery in the face of such a grim diagnosis.
“I love that he’s honest and open with his fans, because he’s been doing the show for a very long time also and feels very connected to all of his fans and viewers,” she continued.
“He is definitely keeping everybody updated on how he’s doing, and I am so proud of him. He’s still working, he’s obviously doing chemotherapy but working through it, and has that strong will to, as we say, the show must go on.”
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