Alex Trebek Set to Receive Unusual Honor That Fans Say Is ‘Well-Deserved’: ‘What a Lovely Tribute’
The late Alex Trebek is slated to receive a special honor commemorating the 37 seasons he spent hosting Jeopardy!
Current Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings informed fans about the unusual honor during a Friday, June 21 episode of the popular game show.
“I’m excited to announce that the next icon to receive a stamp will be our very own Alex Trebek,” Jennings said during the episode, a clip of which the show later shared on Instagram.
The stamp in question will be one of the Forever stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service. Trebek joins other public figures and celebrities who have been honored with a special Forever stamp in recent years, a group that includes Toni Morrison, Charles Schulz, John Lennon and more.
The quiz show previewed the stamp for fans on Friday, revealing the Jeopardy!-inspired message that will be featured on each. The message will include a prompt in the style of the show that will read, “This naturalized U.S. citizen hosted the quiz show ‘Jeopardy!’ for 37 seasons.” Printed upside-down beneath that main chunk of text will be the answer in the form of a question, as is the style of all Jeopardy! contestant answers: “Who is Alex Trebek?”
In a Friday press release, the U.S. Postal Service remembered the longtime host as an icon who became "a respected and beloved presence in millions of homes” through his decades on the show.
Jeopardy! fans were moved by the announcement, which many declared was a “well-deserved” and "beautiful" tribute.
“I love this so much,” one fan wrote on Instagram. "He 100% deserves this honor. We all miss Alex.”
“I'm sure this would've gotten Alex's stamp of approval ??,” another Instagram user wrote.
“I have NEVER been so excited to go to the Post Office! ??,” one fan said as another noted the news “made me tear up.”
"What a lovely tribute," another Instagram user wrote.
Trebek died in November 2020, less than two years after publicly revealing that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was 80 at the time of his death.
The final episode of Jeopardy! that Trebek hosted aired in January 2021. After his death, the show was temporarily helmed by guests before Jennings was named its new permanent host.
Jennings told fans on Friday that the Trebek-inspired Forever stamps will be available for pre-sale starting on Sat., June 22. One month later, on what would have been Trebek’s 84th birthday, the U.S. Postal Service will officially issue the stamps with a special ceremony in Culver City, Calif. Jennings and Trebek’s widow, Jean Trebek, are expected to attend the July 22 event, according to the U.S. Postal Service.
Next: Heartbreaking Video from Alex Trebek's Family Reminds Us Why He Was So Beloved
