People in the News

LOS ANGELES — Who is back home in time for Christmas?

The answer is "Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek, who was released from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Saturday, nearly a week after suffering a heart attack.

"I’m truly overwhelmed by the great show of support and compassion expressed in the past few days to me, my family and my co-workers,” Trebek said in a statement released by "Jeopardy!” publicist Jeff Ritter.

"Even though I know ’Jeopardy!’ is a very popular program, I was still surprised at the number of people who took time from their schedules to call or send a note of encouragement,” Trebek said. "I thank you all so very much. I’m on the mend, and will be spending Christmas at home with my family. "

Trebek, 67, was hospitalized Monday night after being stricken with what Ritter said was a minor heart attack.

The game show host promised to return to the "Jeopardy!” studio on Jan. 14 to tape the program’s "Teen Tournament,” one of his favorite competitions. In the meantime, he said, enough episodes were taped before he was hospitalized that people who tune in over the holidays are still seeing new shows.

"Jeopardy!,” which bills itself as "America’s favorite quiz show,” has been one of television’s top-rated syndicated programs for more than 20 years. The Canadian-born Trebek has been its host since 1984.

He has been nominated numerous times for daytime Emmy Awards for game show host and has won twice, most recently in 2006.

Trebek, who holds a philosophy degree from the University of Ottawa, was a TV and radio reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Company before moving to the United States. He became a U.S. citizen in 1998.

Given a chance to do life over, Coppola wouldn’t change

NEW YORK — Francis Ford Coppola says little would change if he were given a chance to do his life over, like the central character in his new movie, "Youth Without Youth.”

"It would be the same life,” the Oscar-winning director says in an interview in Sunday’s The New York Times Magazine. "When I die, I am not going to be there saying ’Oh, I wish I had done this, and I wish I had done that.’ Because I did it.”

The director of "The Godfather” and Apocalypse Now” says that goes for his movies, too.

"Movie-wise, there is nothing I wouldn’t do again. It’s not possible to make one perfect movie every time. I don’t know of anyone who has done it. I guess (Japanese director Akira) Kurosawa has come the closest.”

After five years, Dion takes a final bow at Caesars Palace

LAS VEGAS — Celine Dion called it a wrap at Caesars Palace, acknowledging in her final show that pregnancy and poor early reviews almost sank her titanic five-year engagement.

As adoring fans cheered, stood and clapped through Saturday night’s performance, Dion interspersed her usual numbers with emotion-filled monologues.

"At one point, it was like feeling like the Titanic was about to sink again,” she said. "But we believed and we went on with it. Even though the vibe was not that positive for us.” While the show was still in development in 2000, Dion, 39, became pregnant and told husband-manager Rene Angelil she did not want to continue.

"I had a life for the first time,” the French-Canadian chanteuse said in a video before her 717th show. "I knew then that I wanted to have more success as a mother than a singer.”

But Angelil told her that too much money and too many people were involved. Not only would the Colosseum cost $95 million to build, her initial three-year, $100 million contract broke records for a live entertainer.

So she pushed on, fighting through initial bad reviews to make it five years of filling a 4,100-seat arena.

After her last number, Dion invited husband Angelil and her son, Rene-Charles, now 7, on stage with her. Rene-Charles repeatedly reached down to grab rose petals that rained down on the final bow, giving them to her.

"Most of us have left our families behind to give ourselves every night,” she said. "I can assure you it was worth it.”

Since opening in March 2003, Dion’s show, "A New Day ... " grossed more than $400 million and was seen by nearly 3 million fans. Dion said one fan had seen her Las Vegas show more than 100 times. Tickets for the final show were for sale on EBay for as much as $1,899.

Last month, Dion released "Taking Chances” her first English-language album in four years, and she sang the title song on the album during the extra-long finale. The album was most recently the 12th best-selling in the U.S., according to Billboard magazine.

Dion starts touring with a first concert date set for Valentine’s Day in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Taking Dion’s place at Caesars Palace will be Bette Midler’s "The Showgirl Must Go On,” which is set to open Feb. 20.

"Tomorrow morning, it will be back to reality and back to (being) mommy,” Dion told reporters after the show.

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On the Net

Celine Dion, www.celinedion.com