‘Jeopardy!’: Ken Jennings Gets Emotional Honoring Alex Trebek in His First Episode as Customer Host (Video)

Ken Jennings took the stage for his first episode as “Jeopardy!” customer host on Monday — but earlier than initiating the game, he gave a heartfelt speech about gradual host Alex Trebek.

“Welcome to ‘Jeopardy!’ Sharing this stage with Alex Trebek was one in all the greatest honors of my existence,” Jennings began. “No longer many things in existence are wonderful, but Alex did this job pretty notable completely for extra than 36 years, and it was even better up cease. We had been dazzled by his intelligence, his charm, his grace in level of truth. There’s no assorted phrase for it.”

He purchased reasonably emotional as he continued: “Fancy several ‘Jeopardy!’ followers, I leave out Alex very notable, and I thank him for all the pieces he did for all of us. Let’s be fully certain — no person will ever change the massive Alex Trebek. Nevertheless we can honor him by playing the game he cherished.”

Also Read: 7 Memorable Moments From Alex Trebek’s Final ‘Jeopardy!’ Episode

Explore the clip under.

Ken Jennings steps up to the lectern this day as our first customer host – but not earlier than honoring Alex. pic.twitter.com/uOzQ3UfqmN

— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) January 12, 2021

And with that, Jennings presented the first “Jeopardy!” contestants of the put up-Trebek technology: Jim Gilligan, the assistant professor from Unusual York who won the game on Trebek’s final-ever episode as host, which aired on Friday; Tanay Kothari, a industrial operations affiliate from Oakland, California; and Julia Shear Kushner, a lawyer from Long Beach, California.

Trebek misplaced a fight with pancreatic most cancers on Nov. 8. He was 80 years worn.

Also Read: Ken Jennings Explains Why Alex Trebek Ditched His Pants That One Time on ‘Jeopardy!’ (Video)

Jennings, who became the king of “Jeopardy!” after a success the “Ideal of All Time” tournament final January, has been filling in as duration in-between host of the game level to, with Katie Couric position to eliminate over subsequent.

The level to has not yet named an legit successor to eliminate over as perminant host.