Before Monday night’s episode of “Jeopardy!,” executive producer Mike Richards delivered a heartfelt tribute to longtime host Alex Trebek, who died on Sunday at the age of 80.
“Over the weekend, we lost our beloved host, Alex Trebek. This is an enormous loss for our staff and crew, for his family and for his millions of fans,” Richards said. He loved this show and everything it stood for.”
Sony Entertainment confirmed on Sunday that Trebek was in the studio filming episodes of “Jeopardy!” until Oct. 29, and that his final episode will air Dec. 25. Richards also mentioned this fact in his speech, highlighting Trebek’s dedication to the show.
“He will forever be an inspiration for his constant desire to learn, his kindness and for his love of his family. We will air his final 35 episodes as they were shot. That’s what he wanted,” Richards said. “On behalf of everyone here at ‘Jeopardy!,’ thank you for everything, Alex.”
After Richards finished speaking, the camera panned to the empty “Jeopardy!” stage and a moment of silence began to honor Trebek. Trebek hosted “Jeopardy!” for 37 seasons, beginning in 1984, and won five Daytime Emmy awards for his work as the show’s host. He also held the Guinness World Record for the most gameshow episodes hosted by the same presenter. In March 2019, Trebek revealed that he had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer.
“Jeopardy!” also shared the clip of Richards’ tribute on Twitter, writing: “Today we honor Alex Trebek. For over three decades he brought integrity, humor and intelligence to his duties as host of ‘Jeopardy!’ He will be in our hearts forever.”
Watch the full video below.
Today we honor Alex Trebek. For over three decades he brought integrity, humor and intelligence to his duties as host of Jeopardy! He will be in our hearts forever.
Thank you, Alex. Love from us all. 💜 pic.twitter.com/w8abYY8SX5
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) November 10, 2020