Alex Trebek’s wife Jean said filming “Jeopardy!” gave the game show host a “sense of purpose” and helped him in his cancer battle.
Jean opened up about Trebek during NBC’s “Inspiring America: The 2021 Inspiration List” that aired Saturday.
“Doing ‘Jeopardy!’ really gave him a sense of purpose, a reason to wake up in the morning,” Jean told host Savannah Guthrie. “And I would say we all need that. We all need a purpose.” (RELATED: Alex Trebek’s Wife Opens Up About His Legacy And Her Grief Over His Death)
“I think, Savannah, that I knew his life was going to, on Earth here, would wrap up quickly when he could no longer do the show,” Jean added. “But he wanted to finish strong. And he did. And he lived life on his own terms.”
Trebek passed away in November after battling pancreatic cancer. He first announced his diagnosis in March of 2019.
Jean spoke about how Trebek’s cancer diagnosis was a “blessing” that allowed him to see the impact he had on his fan base in a previous interview.
“I think one of the beautiful things, the blessings that came, if you can call it a blessing, was that he got to really see the outpouring of love and admiration that he gave to the world,” Jean said during the interview.
“And some people just, you know, you don’t see that while you’re still embodied, you don’t get to really witness all the love that people feel for you.”