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“Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings had a bond with his iconic predecessor, Alex Trebek, for a long time, even before he was chosen to replace the legend. The two made an acquaintance with one another first when Jennings was a contestant and Trebek was the host. The former host of the show passed away in November of 2020 due to pancreatic cancer, and around five years after his death, Jennings paid a moving tribute to his friend in a post on Instagram.

According to a TV Insider report, November is also Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, which makes the tribute even more timely. Despite having stage IV cancer and undergoing regular chemotherapy, the former host of the show discharged his duties till the very end, and he never let his struggles, both physical and mental, ever flare up in front of the camera.

Jennings uploaded a picture of himself wearing a purple ribbon and a suit on the Alex Trebek stage. “Where better than the Alex Trebek Stage to mark the beginning of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month? Thanks to my friends at PanCAN for supplying the purple ribbon—check out their website for ideas on how to raise awareness and drive progress all November long! Miss you, Alex. 💜,” he wrote in the caption.

Fans of the show took to the comments section to show their love and affection for the former host. “Rest in peace, Alex, and thank you, Ken, for using your platform to raise awareness!” one fan commented. “November 8 will mark five years since we lost Alex Trebek. Time may move on, but we’ll never forget such an extraordinary human being. 💜,” quipped another. “Alex would be so proud of you, Ken,” one more user mentioned.

Jennings has indeed done a good job after stepping into the shoes of his legendary predecessor. Over the years, the champion with the longest winning streak on the show has proven that he is just as skilled at hosting as he was as a contestant. He had become friends with Trebek when he left fans amazed with 74 consecutive wins on the show.

Jennings has always marvelled at Trebek’s dedication to his role, no matter how much pain he might have been in during his final days. He spoke about that resilience earlier, and that’s clearly something that inspires him to this day. “He was, you know, sometimes in a lot of pain,” Jennings shared, before adding, “Then [when] Johnny [the show’s announcer] would say his name, and like magic, he would just walk out there and be Alex Trebek, you know, 37 years of sense memory and experience, and he could just turn it on.”