77-year-old Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek is taking a medical leave from the show. Trebek suffered a fall almost two months ago, and over the holiday break, it was discovered that he had a subdural hematoma, or blood clots on the brain. He underwent successful surgery in December, and released a video through the show Thursday to announce that he plans to be back “very, very soon“:
“Some of you may have heard right now that during the holiday break I had a slight medical problem. Subdural hematoma, blood clots on the brain, caused by a fall I endured about two months ago. Surgery was performed. After two days in the hospital, I came home to start recovery. The prognosis is excellent, and I expect to be back in the studio taping more Jeopardy! programs very, very soon. And I want to thank all of you for your concern.”
It’s good to hear that Trebek is recovering well and anticipates returning to the show soon. He’s such a key part of Jeopardy!, hosting the show since its 1984 revival, as well as hosting numerous other game shows over the years. And without him, who will make snarky comments about the San Francisco Giants, or tell a contestant they’ve lost $3,200 for saying “Gangster’s Paradise” instead of “Gangsta’s Paradise”? Trebek is the man we need for the job, and hopefully he’ll be back in that role before too long.
[The Wrap]