Names and faces
■ Alex Trebek, the longtime host of Jeopardy!, announced Tuesday that he had resumed chemotherapy for his stage-4 pancreatic cancer, weeks after telling fans that he finished treatment.
“I was doing so well,” Trebek said on Good Morning America. “So we were all very optimistic. And they said, ‘Good, we’re gonna stop chemo, we’ll start you on immunotherapy,’” he recalled. The optimism was short-lived. “I lost about 12 pounds in a week and my numbers went sky high, much higher than they were when I was diagnosed,” he said. “So the doctors have decided that I have to undergo chemo again, and that’s what I’m doing.” America’s most famous game show host has provided anxious fans with frequent updates about his condition. Trebek first revealed his diagnosis in March, promising viewers that “I’m going to fight this.” By May, his cancer was “near remission” and in August, Trebek announced in a video that his chemotherapy treatments had ended and he would appear for another season of his iconic show. But now, Trebek said his journey to recovery had become more challenging. “In terms of getting my strength back, that hasn’t happened, unfortunately,” Trebek told GMA on Tuesday. Throughout his cancer battle, Trebek has maintained an optimistic public tone, which has a very slim survival rate. But he has also been honest and admitted Tuesday that “I realize that there is an end in sight for me just as there is for everyone else.” “I’m 79 years old, I’ve had one hell of a good life, and I’ve enjoyed it,” Trebek said. “The thought of passing on doesn’t frighten me, it doesn’t.”
■ Saturday Night Live rescinded its invitation to a new cast member who posted a video last year in which he used a racial slur for Chinese people and derided Asians trying to learn English. A show spokesman said Monday that the language Shane Gillis used was “offensive, hurtful and unacceptable,” and the show was not aware of the past remarks that have drawn criticism. Saturday Night Live apologized, saying its vetting process “was not up to our standard.” In the clip of video apparently posted in 2018, Gillis refers to an unidentified city’s Chinatown as being “nuts” and used a derogatory word for Chinese people. He also complained about “hearing an Asian trying to learn English.” The clip of Gillis reemerged last week just hours after NBC said that he and two others, including the show’s only Asian American performer, were joining the cast as featured players. In a tweet, Gillis said he respected the show’s decision. He added that he had hoped to have the opportunity to prove himself, but “I understand it would be too much of a distraction.” Gillis ended with a slight swipe at the show, mentioning that he was always a Mad TV guy anyway.