Ken Jennings gasped when presenting the first episode of “Jeopardy!” without iconic host Alex Trebek. “Like all ‘Jeopardy!’ fans, I miss Alex very much and I thank him for everything he has done for all of us, “said Jennings.
Jennings was scheduled to serve as an interim presenter for the longtime game show after Trebek died at the age of 80 from pancreatic cancer in November. The final episode Trebek was recorded on Friday.
“You know, sharing the stage with Alex Trebek was one of the greatest honors of my life. Few things in life are perfect, but Alex has done this job perfectly for over 36 years and has been even better up close,” Jennings, who owns the record for “Jeopardy!” wins, he said. “We were blown away by your intelligence, your charm, your grace, there really is no other word for it.”
Just before the show, Jennings tweeted a photo of what he called “a piece of the show’s question history”: a ticket to the first “Jeopardy!” episode Trebek already presented in 1983.
After Trebek’s death, rumors initially spread that Jennings permanently replace he. Jennings is acting as a consulting producer this season for “Jeopardy!” and is also involved in another game show called “The Chase”, featuring fellow “Jeopardy!” former students James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter. All three competed in the “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time” tournament last year, with Jennings emerging victorious.
It is unclear who will be the permanent host of the program in the future, but a series of interim hosts will take over Trebek’s previous roles until an official replacement is announced.
“Let’s be perfectly clear: no one will ever replace the great Alex Trebek,” said Jennings before introducing the contestants of the day, “but we can honor him by playing the game he loved.”