When Will Alex Trebek's Last Episode of 'Jeopardy' Air?

When Alex Trebek announced in March of 2019 that he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, he vowed to continue hosting Jeopardy! as long as his health allowed him to. He had been the face of the ever-popular game show since its revival in 1984.

Alex continued with Jeopardy!'s strict filming schedule, with five episodes taped per shooting day, as he went through chemotherapy.

On Nov. 8, the official Twitter account for Jeopardy! confirmed that Alex had died at home at the age of 80 after battling cancer for more than 18 months. 

"Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends," the statement read. "Thank you, Alex."

Since Jeopardy! often films episodes months in advance, many ardent fans of the show wondered when Alex Trebek's last episode will air. 

The Canadian host has truly left an indelible mark on the television landscape. Episodes of Jeopardy! featuring Alex as the host will continue airing through November and December of 2020 with the final episode airing Friday, Jan. 8, 2021.

According to Variety, Sony Pictures Entertainment, which owns Jeopardy!, confirmed that Alex had continued taping new episodes of the series until Oct. 29. 

The company also noted that a replacement host would not immediately be identified.

As someone who was a familiar TV staple for more than 36 years on Jeopardy!, Alex received a lot of love online from public figures, former contestants, and fans all over the world. 

Many celebrated Alex for encouraging people to be curious about learning, for making it cool to be smart, and for being so consistent throughout his run on the show. 

Ken Jennings, who holds the longest winning streak on the show and who clinched the GOAT tournament in January of 2020, said he was "grateful" for Alex. 

"Alex wasn't just the best ever at what he did. He was also a lovely and deeply decent man, and I'm grateful for every minute I got to spend with him," he wrote on Twitter. "Thinking today about his family and his Jeopardy! family — which, in a way, included millions of us."

James Holzhauer, who had a memorable streak in 2019 and who also competed on GOAT, referred to his time with Alex on the show as "one of the great privileges" of his life. 

"It was one of the great privileges of my life to spend time with this courageous man while he fought the battle of his life. You will never be replaced in our hearts, Alex," James tweeted. "Alex was so much more than a host. He was an impartial arbiter of truth and facts in a world that needs exactly that. He was someone you could count on to entertain you every weekday, even when his health barely allowed it. And he was an underrated rapper."

James shared a video of Alex rapping the lyrics to "Panda" by Desiigner, and he also posted a link to one of Alex's favorite charities, World Vision, for donations.

The third competitor on GOAT, Brad Rutter, wrote, "Just gutted. There will never be another. RIP, Alex, and thank you so much for everything." He followed this up with another tweet about Alex's fortitude. 

"Reading all the wonderful tributes to Alex and the thing that keeps jumping out at me for some reason is that he was on set taping the *Thursday before last*," Brad wrote on Nov. 8. "What a bada--."

Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak, who had a friendly rivalry with Alex over their shared long-lasting hosting gigs on popular game shows, also released a statement.

"Alex Trebek's courage, grace and strength inspired millions and awed those of us who knew him. A tremendous loss for his family, friends, coworkers, and countless viewers. I was honored to be a friend and a part of his professional family for all these years," he tweeted. "A very sad day."

Jeopardy! airs on weeknights. Check your local listings for the network and time information.