Alex Trebek was adored by the gaming industry.
The iconic “Jeopardy!” The host died at the age of 80 in November, after a battle with pancreatic cancer, and is now being remembered by some of his contemporaries: “Wheel of Fortune” hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White.
“I met Alex for almost 40 years, and he was just a good friend,” White, 63, told Entertainment Tonight. “Over the years, I have met his wife and children and he is just part of the family.”
Sajak, 74, paid special attention to Trebek’s admirable television career.
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‘Wheel of Fortune’ hosts Pat Sajak (left) and Vanna White (center) opened up about their ‘admiration’ for ‘Jeopardy!’ host Alex Trebek (right) after his death. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth / WireImage)
“Only at the professional level, I have been in this for a long time and I really admire what he did, and he did so much,” he said.
Sajak continued: “When I started the show … Alex had already done half a dozen, maybe more, game shows here and in Canada, he did a lot of them, and he was always highly professional and it was the perfect match for his show. . “
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Trebek was the host of “Jeopardy!” since 1984 and has won numerous awards and nominations for his work, not to mention a huge fan base of several generations and adoration.
Reflecting on Trebek’s professional achievements, Sajak gushed: “As a professional colleague, admiration is out of the cards.”
Alex Trebek died in November after a battle with pancreatic cancer. (Eric McCandless / ABC via Getty Images)
Before his death, Trebek recorded a series of “Jeopardy!” episodes, the last of which will air on Friday. Several guest hosts, including champion Ken Jennings and allegedly Katie Couric, will serve in the meantime before a permanent replacement is appointed.
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“Wheel of Fortune” is about to undergo a change, as they venture into prime time with a special featuring celebrity contestants.
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“In 38 years, we’ve never been in prime time, so why not do it now?” asked White, known for her tenure as the program’s letter changer. “It is a positive thing, it is a family thing, the celebrities are excited, we are excited, we are giving a lot of money to many charities, so it was really special.”