Alex Trebek gets choked up at contestant's Final Jeopardy response: 'We love you Alex'

Rachel Yang

Contestant Dhruv Gaur may not have technically gotten the answer (er, question?) right, but he still won Monday’s episode of Jeopardy! in viewers’ eyes.

During the sixth day of the Tournament of Champions, Gaur wagered $1,995 of his $2,000 in Final Jeopardy. When it came time for host Alex Trebek, who has been battling cancer this year, to read the contestant’s answer out loud, he was met with a personal message of support.

“What is, ‘We love you, Alex!'” Trebek read, his voice wavering. “Oh, that’s very kind.”

Trebek choked up at Gaur’s unexpected and emotional answer, while the audience similarly seemed touched, responding with oohs and awws. #weloveyoualex soon began trending on Twitter, with fans sharing the tearjerking video and expressing their own love for the iconic television figure.

Gaur himself explained on Twitter why that was his answer.

“Alex had just shared with us that he was reentering treatment for pancreatic cancer. We were all hurting for him so badly,” he wrote. “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”

Fans have been sending love to Trebek since he announced he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year. The long-time host also told Good Morning America in September that he would undergo another round of chemotherapy.

Trebek has stayed resilient and positive throughout the ordeal, continuing to host Jeopardy! He even released a PSA for pancreatic cancer awareness on Oct. 31. However, the day when he has to step away from the show may not be so far into the future.

Although stating that he’d host Jeopardy! “as long as [his] skills do not diminish,” Trebek recently noted that “they have started to diminish.”

“I’m not as bothered by it because all of the people around me are saying, ‘No, it’s okay,’” Trebek said in October. “But there will come a point where they will no longer be able to say, ‘It’s okay.'”

In the interview with Canadian news show W5, Trebek also said he was “not afraid of dying,” as he’s lived a fulfilling life.

“One thing they’re not gonna say at my funeral as a part of a eulogy, ‘He was taken from us too soon.’ I’m 79 years old. So, hey, I’ve lived a good life, a full life, and I’m nearing the end of that life. I know that. I’m not gonna delude myself,” he continued. “If it happens, it happens. And why should I be afraid of it?”

Related content: