"Peril!" The Emmy award from host Alex Trebek is ovation

Lynn Elber, television writer for television

Update

9:07 pm PDT, Sunday 5 May 2019

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Alex Trebek received an ovation for receiving an Emmy Award as a "Jeopardy!" Host – and immediately put the audience at ease, even when he is referring to his cancer diagnosis.

Trebek, 78, who announced in March that he had advanced pancreatic cancer, told Sunday the theater audience that he feared that sympathy, rather than merit, would catch him the trophy of the best animator game show.

But he then reflected on what happened last year, after undergoing surgery to remove blood clots that pose a death threat to his brain.

"You think it would have been sympathetic, but I did not win!" he said, drawing roars among the crowd who, moments before, had risen to applaud him. Instead, he said, he realized that perhaps he had worried about the bad thing and should instead emulate Sally Field, an Oscar winner.

"You like me a lot, and you appreciate my work, I tell you, I can live with that," said Trebek, his voice thick with emotion but balancing and dashing in his tuxedo.

At the 1985 Academy Awards, Field had said, "I can not deny the fact that you love me now, you love me", whereas she had accepted the trophy for the best actress for "Places in the Heart".

While the honor of Trebek returns during a health challenge for him, the year since 1984 has been a pivotal year for the game show he runs. The dazzling performance of competitor James Holzhauer, who has accumulated more than $ 1.6 million in winnings.

Trebek, who now has seven Emmys Daytime, including one for life, was not the only TV veteran to be honored at the 46th ceremony.

Judith Sheindlin, aka "Judge Judy", received an award for all of her achievements, and the ceremony paid tribute to 50 years of "Sesame Street".

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Mike Cidoni Lennox, AP Entertainment Editor, contributed to this report.