A ‘Jeopardy!’ Contestant Told A Lovely Alex Trebek Story That Ken Jennings Called ‘Very On-Brand For Alex’

While Ken Jennings is in the midst of his spell hosting Jeopardy! on a part-time basis, Alex Trebek’s specter looms large. No one will ever fully replace Trebek, who passed away last year following a bout with pancreatic cancer, but folks like Jennings, Aaron Rodgers, and more will do their best before a full-time host is replaced.

The good news is that for as long as Jeopardy! is on the airways, people will associate it with the man who hosted it for decades. And on Wednesday’s episode, one contestant told a story about meeting Trebek in New York City that Jennings joyously called “very on-brand for Alex.”

“I was shocked,” Sarah said. “It was on the platform at 145th street and he was in jeans and a polo, and I’m staring at him, and I’m like, ‘That’s Alex Trebek!’ And on the long subway ride down to 59th street, I asked him to take a selfie. He said he doesn’t take selfies, so we had someone else take the photo for us.”

Jennings loved the story — which included a photo of the pair sitting on a subway car — and as Sarah explained, Trebek’s son, Matt, owns a Mexican restaurant in that part of the city. As far as Jeopardy! contestant stories go, this is certainly up there among the better ones that we’ve heard.