TORONTO -- In the wake of broadcaster Alex Trebek鈥檚 death following a battle with pancreatic cancer, 愛污传媒 Chief Anchor and Senior Editor Lisa LaFlamme reflected on his life, calling him 鈥渟omeone very special.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 so sad, I really am. I feel like we have really lost an icon, and I don鈥檛 use that word very often, or lightly, and Alex Trebek was an icon,鈥� she told 愛污传媒 Channel on Sunday.
鈥淲e鈥檝e met many times over the years, spoken many times, and I just loved him.鈥�
Trebek, best known for being the host of 鈥淛eopardy!鈥� since 1984, was 80 years old when he died on Sunday morning. Since the news of his death broke, the internet has flooded with fans and viewers sharing condolence and stories of what he meant to them.
鈥淗e was fascinating, always engaged, a huge philanthropist about the world, cared so much about children鈥檚 charities throughout the world, the environment,鈥� LaFlamme said.
Although he spent much of his career working in the U.S., Trebek never forgot his Canadian roots, LaFlamme said.
鈥淗e was always Canadian first, which I found really endearing about him,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was Alan Thicke who really gave him his big break, another great Canadian, and they were lifelong friends as well.鈥�
Thicke had encouraged Trebek to make the move to California to host an NBC game show called 鈥淭he Wizard of Odds鈥� after Trebek had spent many years working in broadcasting in Canada. His first game show didn鈥檛 last long, but it led to other gigs, putting him on the path to Jeopardy!.
Trebek is known also for his philanthropy and donating to numerous causes. Over the years, one of the ways he showed his appreciation for Canada was through donations to the University of Ottawa, which he attended. It鈥檚 a connection he and LaFlamme share -- she is also a University of Ottawa alumni, although LaFlamme attended long after Trebek had left, something she said was a running joke between them.
鈥淚 used to say: 鈥榊ou know, Alex, you graduated University of Ottawa the year I was born,鈥� and he had much to say about that,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e was a very funny guy.鈥�
鈥淚 know everyone at the University of Ottawa who worked so closely with him will be truly mourning his loss today because he is just so much a part of that campus,鈥� she added. 鈥淭here鈥檚 the Alex Trebek Alumni Hall there, which really is a platform for open dialogue and great thinkers to try to solve some of the problems that we all still face in this world, whether it is despot governments or the environment.鈥�
Trebek was also 鈥渧ery political,鈥� LaFlamme said.
He once joked to LaFlamme that if U.S. President Donald Trump came onto Jeopardy!, he wouldn鈥檛 be sure if Trump would accept it if he was told he鈥檇 answered incorrectly.
鈥淪o he had humour on all levels,鈥� she said.
She said she had spoken with Trebek before about the U.S. election, which was only officially called for Joe Biden on Saturday.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 help but think it鈥檚 fascinating that he lived to see how this election outcome happened,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is a guy who cared deeply about the world and deeply about democracy. It was a campaign he was on throughout his life, even while he was still taping the show, even while he was sick, he was still very focused on a better world.鈥�
Trebek had been very public about his cancer diagnosis since March 2019, but as he continued to host Jeopardy!, he tried to keep the struggle from being visible to viewers.
LaFlamme said he had told her about 鈥渢he challenge of having to turn it on for the cameras.鈥�
鈥淓ven when he was not well, and feeling weak, he鈥檇 hear that voice, 鈥楬ere鈥檚 Alex Trebek,鈥� and he would just steel himself and go out, even in the last year, while he was struggling.鈥�
As he continued battling cancer, 鈥渉e felt his own speech slurring a bit,鈥� at one point, LaFlamme said. "That was a great concern to him.
鈥淓verybody said: 鈥楴o, you鈥檙e doing a great job,鈥� and he was afraid that there were too many 鈥榶es-men鈥� around him, yes-women,鈥� LaFlamme said. 鈥淏ut he kept at it, as we all know. We watched him.鈥�
Last year, in an interview with Trebek, LaFlamme asked if he was afraid of the end of his life.
鈥淯sually when you interview someone, they say 鈥楩ifteen minutes, or 20 minutes.鈥� Not Alex, he was wide open, everything was on the table,鈥� she said.
Trebek鈥檚 work on Jeopardy! wasn鈥檛 just entertaining. For many people, watching the show allowed them to start learning English, something that Laflamme says 鈥渕eant a great deal鈥� to Trebek.
鈥淲henever he鈥檇 come home, he was walking through the ByWard Market and so many people would see him and recognize him and come over and talk to him,鈥� LaFlamme said. 鈥淟ast year, about this time, he was too sick to really do much, he was weak but he still wanted to make that trip and even on that trip, somebody came up to him and said -- a new Canadian -- 鈥榊ou taught me English. My children now watch you.鈥欌��
Although Trebek, who never sought the spotlight, 鈥渄idn鈥檛 love being the poster child for pancreatic cancer,鈥� LaFlamme said, 鈥渉e talked about what a responsibility it was.
鈥淚 think still, he gave a lot of hope and strength to people,鈥� she said, pointing out that just seeing him continue to attend work during his battle was inspiring.
She said that although he is more than the show that defined his career, that show helps encapsulate the impact he made on others.
鈥淗is legacy is truth,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause that was Jeopardy鈥� it wasn鈥檛 just a job for him. He was obviously passionate about helping educate the public and education was a huge issue for him and accuracy and truth.
鈥淎nd that鈥檚 not a bad legacy, especially in this world.鈥�
