Alex Trebek was beloved by the game show industry.
The iconic “Jeopardy!” host died at the age of 80 in November after a battle with pancreatic cancer, and is now being remembered by some of his contemporaries: “Wheel of Fortune” hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White.
“I knew Alex for almost 40 years, and he’s just been a good friend,” White, 63, told Entertainment Tonight. “Through the years, I have gotten to know his wife and his kids and he is just part of the family.”
Sajak, 74, took special note of Trebek’s admirable and decades-long career on television.
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‘Wheel of Fortune’ hosts Pat Sajak (left) and Vanna White (center) opened up about their ‘admiration’ for ‘Jeopardy!’ host Alex Trebek (right) after his death. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage)
“Just on a professional level, I have been at this a long time and I really admire what he has done, and he had done so much,” he said.
Sajak continued: “When I started the show… Alex had already done a half a dozen, maybe more, game shows here and in Canada, he has done a bunch of them, and was always highly professional and was like the perfect match for his show.”
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Trebek served as the host of “Jeopardy!” since 1984 and earned himself countless awards and nominations for his work, not to mention a massive, adoring and multi-generational fan base.
Reflecting on Trebek’s professional accomplishments, Sajak gushed, “As a fellow professional, the admiration is off the charts.”
Alex Trebek died in November after a battle with pancreatic cancer. (Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images)
Before his death, Trebek pre-taped a number of “Jeopardy!” episodes, the last of which is set to air on Friday. A string of guest hosts, including champ Ken Jennings and reportedly Katie Couric, will serve in the interim before a permanent replacement is named.
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“Wheel of Fortune” is about to undergo a change as well as they venture into primetime with a special featuring celebrity contestants.
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“In 38 years, we have never been on primetime, so why not do it now?” asked White, known for her tenure as the show’s letter-turner. “It’s a positive thing, it’s a family thing, celebrities are excited, we are excited, we are giving away lots of money to lots of charities, so that was really special.”