WATCH: Alex Trebek Tears Up During Emotional Moment on Jeopardy (VIDEO)

Alex Trebek Jeopardy

Getty Host Alex Trebek poses on the set at Sony Pictures for the 28th Season Premiere of the television show "Jeopardy."

During Jeopardy on Monday, November 11, host Alex Trebek got choked up over a touching message from a Final Jeopardy contestant Dhruv Gaur. When Gaur did not know the answer to his final Jeopardy question, he wrote “What Is We Love You Alex” on his answer board instead, a gesture that surprised Trebek and made the ever-composed host visibly emotional.

Trebek read the answer aloud before saying “thank you, that’s very kind.” He paused, taking the moment in and catching his breath before returning to the game. He somewhat humorously moving it forward by letting Gaur know that his wrong answer cost him $1995, leaving him with $5 left. Gaur simply smiled and accepted his wrong answer penalty, securing his loss against the other contestants.


The Video Went Viral & Inspired the #WeLoveYouAlex Twitter Hashtag

As the video gained online attention, the hashtag #WeLoveYouAlex began trending on Twitter in support of the beloved game show host. Not even two hours after the episode aired, the hashtag was a worldwide trend with over 20,000 tweets.

Kelli Kubicek shared the video on Twitter, writing “Alex Trebek getting choked up at a heartfelt final jeopardy answer. The instant welling up of tears and emotion no viewer expected to have tonight. what a moment. #weloveyoualex.” Another Twitter user complimented Gaur’s gesture, writing “The guy knew he had no chance of winning the game so he wrote that… Aw. We need more people like that in the world. So darn sweet. #WeLoveYouAlex.”

Gaur addressed the viral moment on Twitter himself with a series of tweets. He wrote: “Sorry for west coast spoilers, but I’m really glad I got the opportunity to say to Alex what everybody at the tournament was thinking … or context, Alex had just shared with us that he was reentering treatment for pancreatic cancer. We were all hurting for him so badly. When Final Jeopardy came up, I could’ve tried to puzzle it together, but really, just kept thinking about Alex, and thought he should know. I’m just very grateful I got the opportunity to say what I know everyone was thinking. Sending all the love. #weloveyoualex.”


Alex Trebek Is Currently Undergoing Chemotherapy to Battle Pancreatic Cancer

Alex Trebek revealed earlier this year that he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2019. He was in remission as of May 2019, but the cancer eventually returned and he needed to start treatment once again. In October, he offered concerned fans an update on his health condition, sharing that the chemotherapy was causing mouth sores that made it challenging for Trebek to enunciate when speaking. In an interview with CTV News, Trebek said that he would continue hosting the show “as long as my skills do not diminish.” Of his occasional slurring, he added “I’m sure there are observant members of the television audience that notice also, but they’re forgiving. But there will come a point when they (fans and producers) will no longer be able to say, ‘It’s okay.’”

According to Alex Trebek’s IMDb profile, he has hosted 7,987 episodes of the show since 1984.