What is….a terrifying medical scare! Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek has undergone brain surgery to remove a subdural hematoma he suffered when he hit his head in a bad fall in October of 2017. The 77-year-old TV icon revealed in a YouTube video he released on Jan. 4 that he had a “slight medical problem,” explaining how blood clots had developed on his brain in a fall he endured a few months prior. He was admitted to LA’s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on December 15 after experiencing complications and underwent surgery to remove the bleeding on his brain. Thank goodness it was successful and he was released from the hospital a few days later. Even better is his prognosis, which Alex says is “excellent.” Whew! We don’t know what we’d do without his whip-smart mind questioning the Jeopardy! contestants.
Alex was able to keep his medical drama on the down low because the show tapes months in advance with long breaks throughout the year. He’ll be back to taping shows in mid-January of 2018, and the only glitch in the schedule for the show will be that the College Championship — which was due to tape this week — will be pushed back to March and then air a month later in April. Other than that, it will be business as usual for Alex and Jeopardy! See pics of Alex, here.
The beloved host looked to be in great health and spirits in the video, which looks like it was taped in his cozy living room as he was surrounded by photos of his family on a table behind his large sofa. He was seated as he wore a navy blue Jeopardy! baseball cap and a comfy yellow sweater. At the end of the video he thanked all of his fans for their concern is his usual professor-like calming voice. We’ve got at least two more years of Alex at the helm of Jeopardy!, as he renewed his contract in May of 2017 to continue through the 2019-20 season. That will mark the syndicated show’s 36th on the air. Oh man, Alex has been hosting the show longer than many fans have been alive!
HollywoodLifers, send Alex your well wishes!