LOS ANGELES • Alex Trebek, whose decades as host of the quiz show Jeopardy! made him one of the most popular fixtures on American television, died on Sunday at age 80.

Trebek had waged a very public fight against pancreatic cancer for nearly two years, but continued taping his programme until recently.

His death was announced on Twitter by the Jeopardy! account, which said Trebek "passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends", adding: "Thank you, Alex."

CNN media analyst Brian Stelter called Trebek "the greatest game-show host of his generation... You always watched and you came away smarter".

Trebek, who became a United States citizen in 1998, had hosted Jeopardy! - syndicated these days to various channels, including ABC - since 1984.

Mr Bob Iger, chief executive officer of ABC parent The Walt Disney Company, called Trebek "a friend, a colleague, an icon" in a statement mourning his death.

Trebek previously hosted other game shows, including Double Dare and Classic Concentration, as well as hosting the National Geographic Bee for 25 years.

But it was his time at Jeopardy! - a 36-year run almost unheard of by television standards - and his clear intelligence, gentlemanly aplomb and sly good humour that earned him the eternal devotion of millions of viewers.

He also won a slew of awards. Trebek was a five-time daytime Emmy Award winner. He had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He received a flood of supportive mail after announcing his stage 4 cancer.

"I'm going to fight this," he told his fans. Many wrote to tell him they were inspired by his battle.

He had had earlier health scares, including two heart attacks and a car accident, but always came back.

George Alexander Trebek was born on July 22, 1940, in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. His father was a Ukrainian immigrant, his mother a French-speaking Canadian. With a degree in philosophy, he went to work for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1961. By 1966, he was hosting a high-school quiz show.

Trebek moved to the US in 1973 to host a new NBC game show, The Wizard Of Odds. He took over the reins at Jeopardy! in 1984, when a friend of his, original host Art Fleming, declined to return.

Trebek held the record for the most game-show episodes hosted by the same presenter, at 6,829, according to Variety.

"You work hard, you do your best," he said with typical modesty at one awards show.

He and his wife Jean Currivan had two children.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE