Howard and Robin Quivers Pay Tribute to Late ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Alex Trebek

Alex Trebek, who viewers watched give clues on the quiz show “Jeopardy!” for decades, has passed away after his battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80.

“Alex was one of the most iconic game show hosts of all time, I believe,” Howard said in a tribute Monday morning.

“I was so devastated by this news,” co-host and former “Celebrity Jeopardy!” contestant Robin Quivers admitted.

Trebek began his broadcasting career in the 1960s in Canada, though unlike Howard hosting was never an ambition of his. “I wanted to be a pilot, a doctor, or Prime Minister of Canada,” Alex told Howard during a 2015 Stern Show visit.

“He took the job because he was trying to make money to support his second year in college,” Robin recalled of the host’s entry into the business. “The reason he got to be on the air was he was the only bilingual announcer among the … English-speaking staff.”

Taking on “Jeopardy!” hosting duties in 1984 and eventually winning six Daytime Emmys as well as a Guinness World Record for hosting the most game shows of the same program, Alex is remembered for both his professionalism and bravery in battling his disease. “Alex Trebek was a class act,” Howard noted of the icon. “I loved him, I thought he was a real pro.”