'Jeopardy!' Stars Posted Emotional Tributes to Honor Alex Trebek One Year After His Death

Alex Trebek is gone but never forgotten.

On Monday, the Jeopardy! family came together to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Alex’s death on November 8. After hosting the popular game show for 37 seasons, Jeopardy! announced last fall that Alex had died at the age of 80, about 19 months after he revealed his stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

A year later, he continues to be missed by many. For Monday night’s episode, Jeopardy! legend and champion Ken Jennings stepped up to the lectern to take over guest hosting duties from Mayim Bialik. Before taking the stage, Ken opened up about what it was like being there without Alex and how he keeps him close.

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“I miss Alex a lot,” he said in an exclusive interview with the show. “When I’m in here, I feel like he’s probably in the building somewhere. It’s hard not to talk about him in the present tense."

He continued: "The first time I can came in to guest host was just weeks after Alex had passed and it was a really rough time. I got to the studio and one of the producers handed me a little box, and Alex’s wife Jean had given me a pair of his cuff links that he had worn on the show ... My Alex Trebek cuff links are the only cuff links I own. There’s kind of a good luck charm for me here."

Off camera, past Jeopardy! champions and guest hosts honored Alex’s incredible legacy with heartfelt words on social media. Here are a few of their tributes:

Buzzy Cohen: “One year.”

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James Holzhauer: “Today marks one year without the legend."

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Brad Rutter: “I'm missing Alex Trebek a little extra today, on the one year anniversary of his passing to #pancreaticcancer. Join me in honoring him with a donation to @PanCAN, who provides free resources and support to patients and their families. 💜pancan.org”

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Mayim Bialik: “Remembering the passing of the great Alex Trebek a year ago today. Alex was a legendary entertainer, philanthropist, and lover of life. We miss you, Alex.”

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