Wheel of Fortune 's Pat Sajak and Vanna White Pay Tribute to Alex Trebek: 'There Will Never Be Another'
Wheel of Fortune's Pat Sajak and Vanna White are mourning the death of their friend and fellow television host Alex Trebek.
On Sunday, the longtime Jeopardy! host died at the age of 80 after being diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in March 2019. In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Sajak, 74, called Trebek's death a "tremendous loss."
"The death of Alex Trebek is a tremendous loss for his family, his friends, his co-workers and the millions of viewers who followed his long and illustrious career," he said. "It was an honor for me to be a part of his professional family for nearly 40 years. His strength and courage and grace during his recent health struggles inspired countless others. Alex was truly one of a kind."
White, 63, echoed Sajak in her own statement to PEOPLE. "I will cherish the many memories I have shared with Alex Trebek that date back well before either of our careers took off," she said. "I will always be in awe of the way he faced the battle he fought so valiantly and I'm devastated to lose my longtime friend."
White added, "My heart is with his family, friends, co-workers and fans. There will never be another Alex Trebek and he will truly be missed."
Our hearts are with our friends at Jeopardy! as they say goodbye to their incredible host, Alex Trebek. He will be greatly missed by all of us. https://t.co/pjEBPcmMHr
— Wheel of Fortune (@WheelofFortune) November 8, 2020
Alex Trebek’s courage, grace and strength inspired millions and awed those of us who knew him. A tremendous loss for his family, friends, co-workers and countless viewers. I was honored to be a friend and a part of his professional family for all these years. A very sad day.
— Pat Sajak (@patsajak) November 8, 2020
Sajak also shared his grief on Twitter, writing: "Alex Trebek’s courage, grace and strength inspired millions and awed those of us who knew him. A tremendous loss for his family, friends, co-workers and countless viewers. I was honored to be a friend and a part of his professional family for all these years."
Members of the Jeopardy! family also remembered the beloved host on Sunday. Ken Jennings, the 74-time champion who recently joined the show as a consulting producer, remembered Trebek as “a lovely and decent man.”
“Alex wasn’t just the best ever at what he did. He was also a lovely and deeply decent man,” he wrote in a touching tribute. “I’m grateful for every minute I got to spend with him.”
A post shared by Vanna White (@officialvannawhite) on Nov 8, 2020 at 12:18pm PST
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In a statement to PEOPLE, fellow champion James Holzhauer said, "Alex Trebek was a legend of American television who will never be forgotten or truly replaced. His courageous fight against cancer was an inspiration to all, and his charitable work touched countless lives. In a time where the country feels deeply divided, Alex will be missed by everyone."
Trebek is survived by his wife Jean and their two children: son Matthew and daughter Emily. He also has an older daughter Nicky, whom he adopted when he was married to Nicky’s mother, his first wife Elaine Callei.
