Two of “Jeopardy!” biggest stars have shared tributes about Alex Trebek after news of the beloved host’s death became public.
Trebek, 80, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March 2019 but had continued to film episodes of the triva game show.
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“It was one of the great privileges of my life to spend time with this courageous man while he fought the battle of his life,” former contestant James Holzhauer tweeted Sunday afternoon. “You will never be replaced in our hearts, Alex.”
Holzhauer, an American gambler, made headlines last year for his 32-game winning streak. He has the third-highest winnings in the gameshow’s history, which totals more than $3 million.
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Similarly, the show’s top “Jeopardy!“ winner, Ken Jennings, issued a tweet of his own.
“Alex wasn’t just the best ever at what he did,” Jennings wrote alongside a photo of him taking a selfie with Trebek. “He was also a lovely and deeply decent man, and I’m grateful for every minute I got to spend with him.”
Jennings first appeared on “Jeopardy!” in 2004 and he is the all-time game show winnings leader with his total of more than $5.2 million, which he earned through 75 appearances he has made since then.
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News of Trebek’s passing came straight from the gameshow’s official social media accounts.
“Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends,” the brief statement reads. “Thank you, Alex.”
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Representatives for "Jeopardy!" said in a statement that the show will not announce plans for a new host at this time.
Trebek will still appear in episodes that were pre-recorded for season 37. He appear as host posthumously through Christmas.
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Trebek was the host of “Jeopardy!” for 37 years. His last day of taping was in October.
Tyler McCarthy contributed to this report.
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