Jeopardy! is reportedly looking for someone to take over for long time host Alex Trebek. The iconic host has been a part of the show for over 30 years now and has three more years left on his contract. However, the 78-year old recently announced he has stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which has apparently sped up the process to find a replacement.

Alex Trebek is still hosting the show and plans to do so throughout his battle in order to finish out his contract. Trebek had this to say at the time of his diagnosis.

"Now normally, the prognosis for this is not very encouraging, but I'm going to fight this, and I'm going to keep working... with the love and support of my family and friends and with the help of your prayers also, I plan to beat the low survival rate statistics for this disease. So help me. Keep the faith and we'll win. We'll get it done. Thank you."

When Alex Trebek made his announcement, it saddened many Jeopardy! fans. But, his announcement and commitment to fight the cancer gave fans a shot of positivity about Trebek's future on the show. Even with three years left on a contract, it's understandable the hunt for a new host would begin around this time. Though it seems a bit worrisome that the search has reportedly gotten a little bit more serious. A source close to the situation explains.

"Alex is 78-years old, and the show was already talking about a replacement host when he retired. Now with his health scare, that process has been accelerated. Jeopardy! is still a very successful show and makes millions for the network. There was no way it was just going to end after Alex retired. The idea has always been to 'refresh' the formula, not change it."

As for who could step into Alex Trebek's shoes, that is very much a mystery at this time. With Trebek still on board hosting, it's nearly impossible to think of anyone else taking over hosting duties. The host has always had a dry and witty sense of humor, which at times came off as sarcastic. It's all a part of Trebek's charm and seeing someone else would make for a completely different show. Trebek recently discussed who could replace him before the diagnosis. You can read what he had to say below.

"It's probably going to be a woman, somebody younger, somebody bright, somebody personable, somebody with a great sense of humor. So I nominated Betty White."

Jeopardy! is reportedly looking for someone younger to eventually take over for Alex Trebek. A source close to the show says they are looking at, "finding a female host and someone of color," which isn't too far from what Trebek talked about. So far, there have not been any names to find their way online. But, there are a ton of possibilities for the show to take on, with maybe even taking on two hosts. That is speculation at this time, but anything is possible to keep the show going.

Alex Trebek was rumored to be leaving Jeopardy! in 2014 over a contract dispute and the show went looking for replacements at that time. The host allegedly wanted to quit and later signed on to stay through 2016 and now even longer. Hopefully the host remains healthy enough to finish out his contract and ultimately beat the pancreatic cancer. This information was first reported by the Straight Shuter Podcast.