Alex Trebek's Final 'Jeopardy' Episode Airs, Show Pays Tribute To Late Host: 'Simply The Best'

Alex Trebek's decades-long tenure as "Jeopardy!" host came to an end Friday with his final episode, which aired two months after he passed away.

After 37 seasons, Trebek bid goodbye to "Jeopardy!" as the game show aired his last episode, which was taped on Oct. 29, just 10 days before his death. He ended the episode with his traditional sign-off, telling the audience, "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for spending the time with us. We’ll see you again next week."

Before Friday's episode aired, "Jeopardy!" paid tribute to Trebek with a montage of clips of the late host through the years while Peter Allen‘s "Once Before I Go" played in the background.

"Simply the best. Thank you, Alex," the show tweeted.

The tribute video featured Trebek reliving his happy days while hosting the show and concluded with a clip of him saying, "So long." "Dedicated to Alex Trebek. Forever in our Hearts Always our Inspiration," the show added.

"Jeopardy!" kicked off the first of Trebek's five final shows on Monday with the late host encouraging the audience to go "one step further" and help those who are struggling amid the pandemic.

"You will recall about a month ago, I asked all of you to take a moment and give thanks for all of the blessings that you enjoy in your lives," he said in the episode taped in October.

He continued, "Now, today a different kind of message. This is the season of giving. I know you want to be generous with your family, with your friends, your loved ones, but today I'd like you to go one step further. I'd like you to open up your hands and open up your hearts to those who are still suffering because of COVID-19. People who are suffering through no fault of their own. We're trying to build a gentler, kinder society. If we all pitch in just a little bit, we're going to get there."

Trebek succumbed to pancreatic cancer on Nov. 8 at age 80. He spent nearly four decades in the studio and last visited on Oct. 29 to tape what would be his last episode of "Jeopardy!," People reported.

Ken Jennings will be the interim "Jeopardy!" host. However, he received criticism after an insensitive tweet he made six years ago that seemingly mocked the disabled resurfaced. Jennings apologized for the incident and explained why it took him so long to delete it.

"Sometimes I said dumb things in a dumb way and I want to apologize to people who were (rightfully!) offended. It wasn't my intention to hurt anyone, but that doesn't matter: I screwed up, and I'm truly sorry," he said.