Jeopardy host Alex Trebek opens up about his longtime marriage
Jeopardy host Alex Trebek opens up about his longtime marriage and his one regret in life.
Alex Trebek has one regret in life — not meeting his wife sooner.
“I’m pretty satisfied with my life,” the longtime “Jeopardy!” host told People magazine in this week’s issue. “But my wife Jean and I have been together almost 29 years, and I was thinking about President Bush when he died, and all the comments about his life, about what a nice guy he is, and how he and his wife had been together 73 years. I thought, ‘Oh my gosh… if I’d just met Jean in my 20s we could have had a longer life together.”
The 78-year-old joked, “I guess if I’d met her when I was in my 20s she wouldn’t have been born yet. But hey, 29 years is pretty good!”
“There was this deep sensitivity about him with a gruffy exterior,” recalled Currivan. “I kept thinking, ‘He’s 24 years older than me.’ But there was something that just kept drawing me to him.” (Photo by Joe Kohen/WireImage)
Trebek has been married to Jean Currivan since 1990 and they have two children, 29-year-old Matthew and 27-year-old Emily.
The couple, who currently reside in Los Angeles, told the publication they couldn’t be prouder parents. Matthew is a restauranteur in New York City and Emily is a real estate agent in Los Angeles.
“They’re really sharp and have done their due diligence in their respective endeavors,” said Trebek.
Trebek and Currivan say they prefer spending quality time together from the comfort of home. (Getty)
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“They’re both very compassionate, sensitive people,” added Currivan, 54. "They’re really the best of Alex and I. You can talk to them. They’re our good friends.”
And how do Trebek and Currivan keep the romance alive as empty nesters? They prefer spending quality time together from the comfort of home. Trebek shared they usually watch movies together in bed after dinner.
“I was never into going out to clubs,” said Trebek. “It wasn’t my scene.”
“He takes his job very seriously, but won’t take himself too seriously," his wife Jean shared. (AP)
“The other night was a red-letter day,” he joked. “I cooked for my wife and then we went out to a movie.”
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Trebek also admitted he was a homebody who likes to use his free time to tinker around the house or read.
Currivan said the pair were originally friends before a relationship blossomed.
“There was this deep sensitivity about him with a gruffy exterior,” recalled Currivan. “I kept thinking, ‘He’s 24 years older than me.’ But there was something that just kept drawing me to him.”
And while the pair has been happily married for nearly 30 years, they do have their ups and downs just like any other couple.
“We have our challenges,” she said. “And then we have our really beautiful times, where we’re just so blessed to know that we’re in each other’s courtyard.”
But after all this time, Currivan has learned what makes Trebek really click.
“He’s got a great sense of humor,” she said. “He takes his job very seriously, but won’t take himself too seriously. He’s also youthful. He’s just an intelligent human being. Part of Alex’s staying youthful is his staying curious.”
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