TV

“What Is ‘We Love You Alex?'”: ‘Jeopardy!’ Fans Remember Alex Trebek With Their Favourite Clips

Trebek, 80, had filmed more than 8,000 episodes since 1984.

by Jared Richards  9 November 2020
'Jeopardy!' fans share favourite clips in tribute of the late Alex Trebek

Want more Junkee in your life? Sign up to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook so you always know where to find us.

With news that Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, 80, passed away last night, tributes from fans have been pouring in, with many sharing their favourite moments from the decades-long US game show.

Trebek, who hosted the show from 1984 and was still recording episodes a week and a half before his death, passed away from pancreatic cancer, after battling it for 18 months.

He hosted more than 8,000 episodes of Jeopardy! and appeared in countless TV shows and films. An overflow of tributes have been shared from past contestants and fans, as well as celebrities who considered it an honour to be an answer on the show.

A wonderful tribute on The Ringer by Claire McNear captures Trebek’s worth ethic and warmth, describing him as a “singular talent and singular delight” whose enthusiasm for facts, trivia and entertaining the masses guided his career.

“He was a modern-day Walter Cronkite, as contestant Ken Jennings once put it —an emblem of knowledge and sincerity and a tradition unto himself,” McNear wrote. “For those who grew up in the blue glow of his ‘We hope you’ll join us tomorrow, folks,’ he felt like a member of the family.”

That much is clear from the selection of clips floating around in tribute — including one which aired just last night, where contestant Burt Thakur tears up as he tells Trebek he learnt English by watching the show as a child.

Elsewhere, others are sharing funny moments from the show, including the time Trebek twisted the knife as contestants failed to answer any questions about football, or was taken aback by a young contestant’s revealing answer of ‘what is a hoe?’ to a question.

In another widely shared clip, Trebek shows off his comedic timing in an interview with a contestant, Susan, who is into “nerd-core hip-hop.” After asking her to describe how the genre is for nerds who like to rap about sci-fi and struggling to find romantic partners, he cuts to the meat of it in a deadpan: “Losers, in other words”.


Another clip splices together Trebek reciting hip-hop lyrics, which is it incredibly cute.

Finally, people are also sharing a rare moment of vulnerability from Trebek on the show.

Back in 2019, shortly after Trebek announced his cancer diagnosis, contestant Dhruv Ghur intentionally blew a question round to surprise the beloved host, writing, “What is ‘we love you Alex’?”. Trebek momentarily chokes up before quickly moving on, telling Ghur it “cost him $1995” to write the message.

Trebek leaves behind his wife and three children. Previously, he’s stated he wants Jeopardy! to continue without him: His last episode as host will air in the US on December 25.