"Jeopardy!" Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational Tournament Show Taping
Well, are you ready for some tears? Because I cannot stop tearing up when I watch this incredibly sweet moment between the late, incredible, Alex Trebek and a contestant who went viral this week, Burt Thakur.
If you hadn't yet heard the sad news, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you that Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on Sunday morning. He was 80 years old.
During a post-show chat that made it into Thursday's episode last week, Burt revealed a "true story" to Alex about how Burt used to watch the show with his grandfather, who raised him, and revealed that Alex was actually who taught him English.
Watch the emotional moment:
In true Alex form, Burt says he had a one-liner ready for him as well when the cameras stopped rolling. Burt said Alex responded to him, "I too sat on my grandfather's leg, but he taught me swear words!"
Talking with TODAY after Alex's passing, Burt shared more about his time on the show and why it was so powerful:
"First of all, to walk up on that stage like I saw as a little kid. He comes out and is an absolute gentleman and professional. He was so witty and funny... Alex Trebek is a significant reason why I am the way I am."
He also shared how it was clear that Alex wasn't feeling the best at the time of Burt's episode taping.
"As opposed to bowing his head and wincing, he kept on keeping on. It was this mentality that this is something bigger than myself. This is something that matters... To not lose his cool and have a defeated attitude, cloaked with a mantle of humility... It's something we can all learn from."
It is definitely something we can all learn from. The world lost an amazing host and human being on Sunday, I hope we can continue to learn from him and the way he treated all of the contestants for a long time.
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Photo: Getty Images