Inside the Large Age Gap Between Alex Trebek and Wife Jean Currivan Trebek

As the host of Jeopardy! for the last 36 years, Alex Trebek has become one of, if not the most famous game show host alive (Pat Sajak runs a close second). Though he was not the first man to host the televised rendition of trivial pursuit — as such an honor belongs to Art Fleming — Trebek is intimately connected to the show. 

Trebek and Jeopardy! go hand-in-hand, yet what about the love of his life? Who is Jean Currivan Trebek? How long have the two been together, and is Jean Currivan Trebek also famous? 

All about Alex Trebek and his wife Jean Currivan Trebek

Though Alex Trebek has been married to Jean Currivan since 1990, he was formerly married to Elaine Callei Trebek (from 1974 to 1980). Alex Trebek and Elaine Callei never had any children, but Trebek adopted Callei’s daughter Nicky after they wed. Trebek and Jean Currivan have two kids together — daughter Emily Trebek and son Matthew Trebek. Emily is 27, and Matthew is 30. 

Alex Trebek and Jean Currivan crossed paths in 1988 at a party, and Trebek later invited Jean Currivan to his home for dinner, as Newsweek notes. Jean Currivan Trebek is a businesswoman who works as a Real Estate Project Manager; she is from Huntington, New York. And though Trebek and Jean Currivan boast quite the age difference, the two, after over 20 years together have proven that age is just a number. But, how much older is Alex Trebek than his wife? 

Alex Trebek was born on July 22 in 1940, making him 79 years old. On the other hand, Jean Currivan Trebek was born in 1963, and she is currently 56 years old. In short, the two boast a modest 23-year age difference. When it comes to Hollywood, this age difference isn’t so drastic. Katharine McPhee and David Foster boast an age gap of over 30 years, while George and Amal Clooney have a 17-year age gap. If there is anything the Jeopardy! host regrets, it’s that he didn’t get to meet and marry his wife sooner, for she would have been just a wee sprout when he was young, spry, and on the prowl. 

‘Jeopardy!’ host Alex Trebek wishes he had more time with his wife 

As Newsweek notes, Alex Trebek met Jean Currivan later in life; meaning, the two have not exactly grown old together. Trebek explained: 

But my wife Jean and I have been together almost 29 years, and I was thinking about President [George H. W.] 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…

Alex Trebek went on to explain that he knows the above situation would not have been feasible given their age difference. And, he notes that he is happy with the time he has got to spend with his wife. He added: 

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…

What is a better example of true love than wishing for my time with the person you are with? If you’re looking for a couple to emulate, maybe the two who would just ask for more days, more months, more years are the ones you should look toward. While a pancreatic cancer diagnosis has made Alex Trebek’s life more difficult and unpredictable, he seems to have a positive and heartfelt outlook on what remains.