Alex Trebek Talks About His Future on 'Jeopardy!', Admits His Skills Have 'Started to Diminish'
Alex Trebek is continuing to be an open book when it comes to his battle with pancreatic cancer.
The 79-year-old Jeopardy! host first announced his diagnosis in March and has gone through a series of ups and downs with the disease. His struggles have made him slightly regret his decision to go public with his battle.
"I don't know if I'm strong enough or intelligent enough to help alleviate some of that despair," he says of the people who have reached out to him in a new Good Morning America interview.
Though he's still hoping to make it through, Trebek remains realistic about his chances.
"It does bother me that I might pass on before I get to have a grandchild. Hint, hint!" Trebek teased when asked if he has any accomplishments he'd still like to tackle.
Trebek is dad to son Matthew, 29, and daughter Emily, 26. He said his children have remained strong throughout his battle.
"They were upset when they first learned about it, but they look at me and they don’t see too many changes in me, so it’s not like, 'Oh god, he’s deteriorating before our very eyes,'" Trebek explains.
The same goes for his wife, Jean, who has been a source of comfort for him.
"I think she gives [strength] more to me, and one of my concerns is the effect it has on her," he admits.
The longtime TV personality admits it's "tough" at times for him to remain optimistic with a very serious diagnosis.
"I can be sitting in my dressing room and I get up and I'm not able to move, but then all of a sudden when Johnny says, 'Now here is the host of Jeopardy!, Alex Trebek,' OK, lets go!" he says. "I will keep doing it as long as my skills do not diminish, and they have started to diminish."
For more from Trebek, watch the clip below:
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