Watch Jeopardy!'s Heartbreaking Farewell to Alex Trebek Ahead of Final Episode

Alex Trebek, longtime host of Jeopardy!, died in November 2020 after battling pancreatic cancer. Scroll to watch the show's touching tribute.

By Kaitlin Reilly Jan 09, 2021 12:34 AMTags
Watch: Ken Jennings Recalls Final Conversation With Alex Trebek

Jeopardy! just bid a final farewell to late host Alex Trebek, who died at age 80 following a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer in November 2020. 

On Jan. 8, the official Youtube channel for the game show posted a tribute video of some of Trebek's funniest and most heartwarming moments, set to the tune of Peter Allen's "Once Before I Go." The video includes clips from multiple decades of Trebek's time on the show, which he first began hosting in 1984. 

"Simply the best," the video's caption reads. "Thank you, Alex."

Trebek's final show airs on Jan. 8. Jeopardy! winner Ken Jennings will take over the show as interim host, followed by other guests host before an official selection is made.

"Just to be frank," Jennings told E!'s Scott Tweedie of his role, "nobody wants me there. I don't want me there. We all want to see Alex there for 100 years in a perfect world and, you know, I really just wanted to do the best I could so as not to let him down and Jeopardy! viewers down, so I felt a lot of pressure."

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Alex Trebek: A Life in Pictures

Alex announced he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2019. At the time, he declared he would "fight" the disease. 

Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images

"I'm gonna keep working, and with the love and support of my family and friends and with the help of your prayers also," he said in a Youtube message to Jeopardy fans. "I plan to beat the low survival rates statistics of this disease. Truth told, I have to. Because under the terms of my contract I have to host Jeopardy! three more years!"

Alex worked on the show until his death. Watch the tribute to the beloved host above.