Alex Trebek Shatters Guinness World Record

Alex Trebek was recently awarded a record from Guinness. On Friday, after hosting the 6,829th episode of Jeopardy, Trebek claimed the record for “most game show episodes hosted by the same presenter.

“It’s an honor to hold the Guinness World Record for hosting ‘Jeopardy!,’ which I’ve often said is the best of reality TV,” Trebek stated. “We have had incredible support from our viewers for the past 30 years, and without them, I wouldn’t have set this record.”

Trebek was born in Canada and got his start in television as a newsman. He began hosting Jeopardy in 1984. During his time hosting he’s asked over 416,000 questions. He’s scheduled to host the 31rst season of the game show as well, starting in September.

Alex Trebek’s contract is set to run until 2016. Since news of his contract ending was released, rumors have been spreading that the host has been thinking of retirement.

“Everybody’s speculating on my retirement, and I don’t know why,” Trebek said. “It’s silly. Somebody asked me if I’ve given any thoughts to retiring. Well, yes, I’ve given thoughts to retiring…. Everybody assumes from my having said that, that I’m retiring. Well, no. I’ve been thinking about it. So allow me to think about it.”

Trebek has been very vocal about his intentions to remain host of Jeopardy, for a while at least. It’s likely, when his contract runs out, that he will be quick to sign a new one if it’s offered to him.

In a statement, Alex Trebek said that he knew that his new record was the kind of thing that could be replaced by someone else; just not until he leaves the show.

“The good news is as long as I keep hosting the program, I stay ahead of whoever’s in second place and that makes me feel good,” Alex Trebek joked.

Trebek has stated that when he does retire, he won’t want to allow the show to make a big deal out of it.

“There won’t be any fanfare,” Alex Trebek said. “It’ll be like the time I shaved my mustache on a whim. I’ll just ask the director to leave me 20 or 30 seconds at the end of the program to say a few words and I’ll say a few words and thank people and be on my way.”

Alex Trebek got lucky in his career and met that luck with the talent that managed to stretch it into a record breaker. He wasn’t the first host of Jeopardy. The original show ran from 1964 to 1979 and was hosted by Art Fleming. Trebek took over when Jeopardy was relaunched in 1984.

[ Image courtesy of Zimbio ]