'Wheel of Fortune' stars honor Alex Trebek with soaring tributes

"Wheel of Fortune" stars Pat Sajak and Vanna White are mourning the death of their friend and colleague Alex Trebek.

"Alex Trebek’s courage, grace and strength inspired millions and awed those of us who knew him," Sajak, 74, wrote. "A tremendous loss for his family, friends, co-workers and countless viewers. I was honored to be a friend and a part of his professional family for all these years. A very sad day."

White, 63, shared a few photos of her with Trebek over the years, including on the sets of both of their shows.

"I will cherish the many memories I have shared with Alex Trebek that date back well before either of our careers took off," she wrote on Instagram. "I will always be in awe of the way he faced the battle he fought so valiantly, and I’m devastated to lose my longtime friend."

"My heart is with his family, friends, co-workers and fans," she added. "There will never be another Alex Trebek and he will truly be missed."

Fans of both shows know they air back to back around dinner time in the United States and have been a natural pair for decades. "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" are both produced by Sony Pictures Television.

Trebek and Sajak notoriously swapped hosting duties as an April Fool's Day prank in 1997. The "Jeopardy!" star hosted an episode of "Wheel of Fortune" where Sajak and White were the only contestants, while Sajak appeared as the quiz master on "Jeopardy!"

When Trebek announced his pancreatic cancer diagnosis in March 2019, Sajak was among one of the first people to send his love to his longtime friend.

"The Sajak family is deeply saddened to hear of Alex Trebek's struggle with cancer," Sajak tweeted at the time. "Our hearts go out to him and his family. But there is no one I know who is stronger and more determined, and I would never bet against him."

Trebek was 80 years old.