<p>Most people would think one perk of competing on <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/jeopardy/”><em>Jeopardy</em>!</a> would mean spending time with the host. But one former player recently revealed why longtime host <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/alex-trebek-death.html/”>Alex Trebek</a> never spoke with the contestants before the show.</p>
<h2 id=”h-a-former-jeopardy-contestant-explains-why-players-couldn-t-meet-alex-trebek-before-filming”>A former ‘Jeopardy!’ contestant explains why players couldn’t meet Alex Trebek before filming</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full”><img decoding=”async” loading=”lazy” width=”1200″ height=”798″ src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jeopardy-host-Alex-Trebek-2010.jpg?strip=all&quality=95″ alt=”Jeopardy host Alex Trebek” class=”wp-image-3414461″ srcset=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jeopardy-host-Alex-Trebek-2010.jpg 1200w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jeopardy-host-Alex-Trebek-2010.jpg?w=150&h=100 150w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jeopardy-host-Alex-Trebek-2010.jpg?w=640&h=426 640w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jeopardy-host-Alex-Trebek-2010.jpg?w=768&h=511 768w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jeopardy-host-Alex-Trebek-2010.jpg?w=1024&h=681 1024w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jeopardy-host-Alex-Trebek-2010.jpg?w=90&h=60 90w” sizes=”(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px”><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>‘Jeopardy!’ host Alex Trebek poses on the set on Apr. 17, 2010 | Amanda Edwards/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/alex-trebek/”>Alex Trebek</a> died after a battle with pancreatic cancer, but TV viewers still remember him as the host of <em>Jeopardy!</em> He helmed the game show for 37 seasons, from 1984 until his death in 2020. </p>
<p><em>Jeopardy!</em> fans loved Trebek, and many contestants were excited to meet the Emmy-winning TV personality. However, one former player recently shared that contestants didn’t get to see him until the game started. </p>
<p>“We were not even allowed to meet Alex Trebek before the game began to avoid any kind of bias,” the contestant, who competed on the show in 2016, told <a href=”https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristenharris1/reality-tv-bts-stories” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>BuzzFeed</a>. They added that <em>Jeopardy!</em> is “100% legit,” with “nothing scripted.”</p>
<p>The former player shared more details, saying, “Backstage, we drew numbers to determine the order in which we would go. Several shows are filmed during the day, so we had to bring five changes of clothing in case we won.”</p>
<h2>Alex Trebek was unsure whether the game show would last</h2>
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<div class=”jetpack-video-wrapper”><iframe loading=”lazy” title=”Alex Trebek Chokes Up On Jeopardy! Over Contestant’s Sweet Message of Support” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/LIMQH4vYpYk?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<p>Trebek had a long history of hosting <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/5-of-the-most-dangerous-game-shows-from-around-the-world.html/”>game shows</a> before landing his gig as Jeopardy!’s host, including appearances on game shows like <em>The Wizard of Odds</em>, <em>High Rollers</em>, and <em>The $128,000 Question</em>. </p>
<p>He began hosting <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/jeopardy-fans-slam-show-for-underpaying-contestants.html/”><em>Jeopardy!</em></a>, ABC’s revival of a 1960s show of the same name, in 1984. Trebek loved the job and frequently spoke about <em>Jeopardy!</em>‘s impact on the world. </p>
<p>In an interview with the <a href=”https://www.emmys.com/news/interviews-archive/interviews-alex-trebek”>Television Academy</a>, he discussed the show’s early days, saying they “weren’t certain how long it was going to last.” He continued, “We were getting feedback saying, ‘It’s too tough.’ I told them, ‘I’ll ease up on the material.’ But I didn’t ease up, and people started to enjoy the program.”</p>
<p>Asked what he thought the show’s legacy would be, Trebek replied, “A respect for knowledge. There’s nothing wrong with being bright. There’s nothing wrong with comporting yourself in a decent manner, being an OK kind of human being with a sense of humor.”</p>
<p>He also noted “respect for your fellow individuals” as part of <em>Jeopardy!</em>’s legacy. Although the show can “poke fun” at people, it never takes “cheap shots … That says a great deal about us.”</p>
<h2>Who hosts ‘Jeopardy!’ now?</h2>
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<div class=”jetpack-video-wrapper”><iframe loading=”lazy” title=”Mayim Bialik & Ken Jennings Share All | Inside Jeopardy! | JEOPARDY!” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bk8xzJqyf2c?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
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<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/late-jeopardy-host-alex-trebek-home-sold-3x-paid.html/”>
Late ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Alex Trebek’s Home Sold for 3x What He Paid for It </a>
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<p><em>Jeopardy!</em> is still on the air, co-hosted by <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/ken-jennings-jeopardy-winning-streak-went-so-long-he-admits-he-started-making-up-contestant-interview-topics.html/”>Ken Jennings</a> and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/jeopardy-mayim-bialik-revealed-didnt-grow-up-watching-quiz-show-wasnt-thing.html/”>Mayim Bialik</a>. That’s just what Trebek wanted. </p>
<p>“I think <em>Jeopardy!</em> can go on forever,” Trebek said. “When I’m gone from <em>Jeopardy!</em>, there are other hosts who could do an equally good job. Different but equally good.”</p>