‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Respond After Ken Jennings Honors Alex Trebek

Ken Jennings is honoring former Jeopardy! host, Alex Trebek, on the fifth anniversary of his death. The now Jeopardy! host shared what he did on Instagram to keep Trebek’s memory alive.

“Where better than the Alex Trebek Stage to mark the beginning of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month? Thanks to my friends at PanCAN for supplying the purple ribbon—check out their website to for ideas on how to raise awareness and drive progress all November long! Miss you, Alex. 💜,” he captioned the post.

Not only is this the month of his death, but November is also Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.

In the photo, Jennings stood on the Jeopardy! stage, wearing a suit and a tiny purple ribbon on the lapel of his jacket. Purple is the color for pancreatic cancer.

Alex Trebek died from pancreatic cancer on November 8, 2020. He first announced his Stage IV diagnosis on March 6, 2019. Trebek continued to film episodes of Jeopardy! up until his death, despite undergoing chemotherapy.

Jennings took over as host in September 2020, when Trebek underwent surgery for his cancer, and Jennings’ episodes aired in January 2021. He also played under Trebek during his 74-game streak in 2004.

 

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Jennings then took over as permanent host after Trebek’s death. He was a cohost with Mayim Bialik until she was fired in 2023.

Fans reacted to Jennings’ tribute in the comments. “Rest in peace, Alex, and thank you, Ken, for using your platform to raise awareness!” one fan said.

“God bless you, Ken. Honoring Alex,” wrote another.

“Ken, you’re amazing, not only are you the funniest guy on television but you support what matters with a smile,” a third added.

“Rest in peace, Alex, and thank you, Ken, for using your platform to raise awareness!” a fan commented.

“Alex would be so proud of you, Ken,” an Instagram user said.

“You have filled his shoes beautifully!” another wrote.