Jeopardy! producer Mike Richards describes Alex Trebek as a ‘warrior’ during his last days hosting the show before he passed away at age 80 from cancer
On Tuesday, Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards gave an interview to Entertainment Weekly about his relationship with former host Alex Trebek.
The longstanding host of the popular game show passed away on November 8 at the age of 80 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Richards began the interview by recounting how the former host’s affable personality kept the production crew of the show enthusiastic about working and focused on providing good output.
Gone but not forgotten: On Tuesday, Jeopardy! producer Mike Richards gave an interview about Alex Trebek’s last days hosting the program; the former host is seen in 2019
‘He wanted to know how the staff was doing, how the crew was doing, make sure everybody was hanging in there,’ he said.
The executive producer then spoke about how Trebek truly had a desire to interact with intelligent people who could enlighten him about a variety of different subjects.
Richards noted: ‘He was always inquisitive, always asking questions, and he loved smart people. He loved everyone, but he really admired smart people.’
Trebek and the producer reportedly had a good working relationship and the host oftentimes relied on his crew to test out ideas and clues with him.
Keeping his mind going: Richards recounted that while Trebek was friendly to everyone, ‘he really admired smart people’; the host is seen in a promotional image from 2017
When the coronavirus pandemic began, the former host was adamant that the production team worked to get the program back on the air as soon as was feasible; filming eventually resumed in September with an updated set and extensive safety protocols in place.
Richards recounted an instance where Trebek had recently returned from undergoing surgery and when asked if he would be capable of attending a taping, he responded enthusiastically, which Richards did not expect.
‘He got very firm, which I loved, and he goes, “I’ll be there. Don’t you cancel anything.” And sure as heck, he was. He was a warrior,’ Richards stated.
The producer then spoke about the last few episodes that were shot with the former host, and noted that Trebek’s performance was as stellar as ever, which only made the tapings all the more poignant for the production crew.
He said: ‘Those final five episodes, we shot three the first day and then two the second day, and they were great. You’ll watch them and you’ll go, “This guy’s as healthy as could be. This is not a sick person at all.” He had that much willpower.’
Long time running: Trebek hosted the program for 37 straight seasons, beginning in 1984; he is pictured with his wife Jean in 1990
Making a stand: Richards noted that Trebek’s performance during his final days were as strong as ever, stating that ‘He was a warrior’; the host is seen in 2012
At the end of the tapings, Richards went up to Trebek to congratulate him on her performance, which the former host was apparently not fond of, and received an unusual response.
‘He was exhausted, obviously, and he looks up and he goes, “Thank you.” He knew what he had done and appreciated the fact that we all knew what he had done. So those last two days are very special, and I’ll never forget them.’
The producer then spoke about how Trebek did not want to get involved in the process of finding a replacement host for when he passed away and that he preferred to focus on maintaining the quality of the show while he was there.
The current guest host of the program is Ken Jennings, who was previously a contestant and holds the record for most consecutive wins on the show.
Trebek’s final episodes hosting the program are set to premiere in early January.
Keeping it going: The former host’s last episodes are set to premiere in early January; Trebek is pictured in 2018