'Jeopardy!' announcer Johnny Gilbert opens up about Alex Trebek's death

"Jeopardy!" announcer Johnny Gilbert is remembering the late Alex Trebek, a man he called both a friend and colleague since 1984, in the wake of his tragic death.

Trebek died at the age of 80 on Nov. 8 following a lengthy battle against pancreatic cancer, which he was first diagnosed with in March 2019.

"Everybody's walking around in a little bit of a fog, shaken from the whole thing," Gilbert, 96, told People of how the quiz show's staff has handled the loss. "Part of me left here when Alex left, really."

"'Jeopardy!' has always been my life," he added. "I got married [to wife Sharee] right after the show went on the air, so our life together and the show's life are all bundled into one."

Gilbert recalled meeting Trebek prior to them working together and noting, "he wasn't the usual big-smiley-face emcee" and was someone who "was quiet and listening to everybody and everything."

"Alex has always been the same person," he explained. "He was very introspective, he read a tremendous amount and traveled a lot. He was always doing crossword puzzles to keep his mind active."

Gilbert also remembered how Trebek would interact with the "Jeopardy!" audience, answering their questions during commercial breaks -- no matter how serious or silly they were.

"One gal asked him, 'Boxers or briefs?' Alex took a beat and said, 'Thongs!'" he laughed. "I told him a long time ago, 'If this show goes away, you could be a stand-up comedian.' He always loved to do jokes."

As for whoever carries the torch of Trebek's legacy forward as "Jeopardy!" host, Gilbert has just one piece of advice.

"'Jeopardy!' is a very special game," he said. "If the person lets the show be the show, it will be fine."