Alex Trebek says he doesn't plan to leave "Jeopardy!" in the "near future"
"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek said Wednesday that despite his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, he doesn't plan to end his decades-long run with the iconic quiz show just yet.
"I don't foresee that 30-second moment coming up in the near future," Trebek said Wednesday, referencing his earlier announcement that he'd end his "Jeopardy!" run with a 30-second goodbye at the end of his final episode.
"When you've been in the same job for that long period of time and you're in advanced years, it behooves you at some point to think about retiring. Now, thinking about retiring and retiring are two different things," he said, speaking at a panel promoting "Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time" alongside champions Brad Rutter, Ken Jennings, and James Holzhauer.
"As long as I feel my skills have not diminished too much, and as long as I'm enjoying spending time with bright people like these three [contestants] ... then I'll continue doing it," he added.
Harry Friedman, the program's long-time executive producer, said no successor was lined up.
Trebek, 79, was candid when asked about his health.
"Some days are better than others," he said, his voice slightly hoarse. "My resistance is lower than most of you, of course, because of the treatments I've been having, the chemotherapy and, as you can tell, the cold that seems to be going around. But this is the second time I've had it in the past month."
Trebek announced his pancreatic cancer diagnosis last March, and said Wednesday he's between progress reports.
"They've taken me off one of my chemo drugs, which was killing me," he said, adding that he's having tests done Thursday and "then maybe another week or so before I find out where things stand."
He was upfront about the less debilitating effects of disease and its treatment, including the hair loss that's been covered by a wig and a deep tan cast to his skin. He also expressed concern about his recent "Jeopardy!" performance.
"I seemed a little slower in the ad-lib portions. I could still deliver the clues at a rapid pace ... but I feel that I was not having one of my best weeks. Some weeks are good, some weeks are bad, but it comes with the territory," he said, conceding that his wife didn't share his assessment.
Neither does Rutter, who first competed on the show in 2000 and is the all-time top money-winner.
"He's absolutely the best who's ever done it," Rutter said. "He's very modest. He'll tell you that you don't owe him anything, but we all do. There wouldn't be any 'Jeopardy!' without Alex. And 'Jeopardy!' changed my life."
Trebek was asked what he'll do when he does retire. "Drink," he said.
"No," he added. "I'll work around the house."
Asked what he will miss the most about "Jeopardy!" his reply was swift.
"I tell audiences who come to our tapings that the thing I enjoy most about the show is the 30 minutes I spend on stage with the contestants, because I love spending time with bright people. ... I hate spending time with stupid people," he said, drawing laughs.
Disclaimer: "Jeopardy!" is distributed by CBS Television Distribution, a division of ViacomCBS.