What is “perseverance”? A word that can describe the lover “Danger!” host Alex Trebek and James Gilligan, a contestant on the final episode of Trebek.
Gilligan is an assistant professor of English language and literature at San Francisco State University, which has tried for 30 years to become a competitor to the iconic show.
“I’ve been trying since I was a college student,” Gilligan said in a Friday night interview with The News with Shepard Smith.
Trebek’s latest episode airs Friday night. He has hosted the show for 37 seasons since 1984. It was nearing the end of his nearly two-year battle with pancreatic cancer when Gilligan recorded the episode. Gilligan praised Trebek’s tenacity.
“It was pretty obvious he’d missed a step, but, you know, once the cameras started running, he was the perfect professional,” Gilligan said. “This guy was a titan in the industry and he never gave anything less than 100%. It was just remarkable to see a level of performance that he was able to achieve despite the battle he was fighting.”
Trebek died on November 8, 2020, at the age of 80. A new permanent host for “Jeopardy!” has not yet been named.
“Alex always insisted that he wasn’t the star of the show, that the game itself and the competitors were the real attraction and draw,” Gilligan said. “I think everyone who is hosted by him must have the same attitude.”