Just one year after Alex Trebek passed away after battling pancreatic cancer, Jeopardy! legend Ken Jennings is now reflecting on the past 12 months without Trebek on the game show’s stage.
In a new Jeopardy! promo video, Jennings opened up about how much he has missed Trebek. “When I’m in here, I feel like he’s probably in the building somewhere,” Jennings shared. He also stated that it is hard not to talk about the late game show host in the present tense.
Jennings also reflected on what Trebek’s widow, Jean Trebek, gave him prior to his first guest-hosting gig after the Jeopardy! host’s passing. “The first day I came in to guest host was just a few weeks after Alex had passed. And it was a really rough time. I got to the studio and one of the producers handed me a little box.”
The latest Jeopardy! host’s wife had given Jennings a pair of Trebek’s cuff links that he had worn on the show. “What a lovely gesture that was from Jean,” Jennings declared. “You know, at a time that was very hard for her family, dealing with a lot of grief and a lot of challenges, she thought about Jeopardy! And she thought about me. A person she had never even met. And I thought, ‘What a lovely thing to do.’ She’s fantastic.”
Jennings, who is currently guest hosting on Jeopardy! also stated that the cuff links are a one-of-a-kind thing to him. “My Alex Trebek cuff links are the only cuff links that I own. They’re kind of a good luck charm for me here.”
Ken Jennings Admits He was Terrified to Replace Alex Trebek on ‘Jeopardy!’
According to USA Today, Ken Jennings recently stated he was terrified to replace Alex Trebek as the host of Jeopardy! “I was just terrified, and I think rightfully so. I mean, Alex had just barely passed, and really no one else ad hosted the show since 1974.”
The Jeopardy! guest host also said he knew it was going to be a very difficult task. “You’re trying to step into the shoes of Alex Trebek. Which is impossible.”
When asked about the now-famous Trebek cuff links, Jennings revealed that he wore the accessories during the episode on the one-year anniversary of the Jeopardy! host’s passing. “I did wear Alex’s cuff links that week, that his wife, Jean, had been kind enough to leave for me. So I do have a little kind of souvenir.”
Jennings goes on to add that the late Jeopardy! host is now too far from his thoughts. “You can’t stand on that stage and say those things without thinking about him. Every time I’m up there, I’m doing Alex. Not just because he perfected it, but because that’s the only way I’ve ever seen it done.”
