The first “Jeopardy!” episode without host Alex Trebek aired on Monday.
Following the iconic game show host’s tragic death last year due to pancreatic cancer, “Jeopardy!” has elected to line up several guest hosts until a replacement is named, and frequent champ Ken Jennings is first on the list.
He took to the stage for Monday’s episode, and in Trebek fashion, offered a brief monologue in tribute to the late host before kicking off the game.
“You know, sharing this stage with Alex Trebek was one of the greatest honors of my life,” he began. “Not many things in life are perfect, but Alex did this job pretty much perfectly for more than 36 years, and it was even better up close.”
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Jennings continued: “We were dazzled by his intelligence, his charm, his grace; really, there’s no other word for it.”
The star then appeared to temporarily get choked up.
“Like all ‘Jeopardy!’ fans, I miss Alex very much and I thank…