Ken Jennings looked back on his final conversation with the late Alex Trebek on what turned out to be one of his final days.

During a recent appearance on The Last Podcast on the Left, Jennings said the Jeopardy family all expected Trebek to “bounce back” and continue hosting, even as he battled Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

“I actually ended up talking to him [on] what turned out to be the night before the day he passed away, about guest-hosting for him,” Jennings said. “We thought, ‘Oh, he’s going to get better. He’s going to bounce back. He’ll be hosting again.’ I was just going to fill in.”

Jennings, who is now an official co-host of Jeopardy, was considered for the job after completing a historic winning streak of 74 consecutive games in 2004.

“He gave me the impression he always did over the years, which was that he did not want to be the center of attention on Jeopardy!” Jennings recalled. “He was never announced as the star of Jeopardy! He was always the host of Jeopardy! because he thought the game itself and the contestants should be the star.”

Jennings also revealed Trebek was “more fun” than fans likely realized.

“During commercials, he would tell jokes, go into the crowd. He loved to warm up the crowd himself and do little impressions. He was a very light, funny guy,” he said.

Trebek died Nov. 8, 2020, at the age of 80 years old, just days after he taped his last episode of Jeopardy. According to the crew, he continued working even in those final days, attending regular writer’s meetings and hosting until Oct. 29, when he hosted his final show.

Jeopardy then underwent a shaky transition period as the show struggled to find a fitting host to fill Trebek’s shoes. The show finally settled on Jennings and actress Mayim Bialik, who have co-hosted the show through Season 39.

According to Jennings, hosting a game show is no easy feat. “It’s extremely hard,” he admitted. “The game moves so fast. The host is juggling three or four things at once, trying to be a referee and a play-by-play guy and a game announcer and a narrator.”

Filming for Jeopardy Season 40 has already begun, with Jennings attached to host both the main game show and Celebrity Jeopardy. Bialik is not yet scheduled to return to host after stepping away in May in solidarity with the writer’s strike.

Jeopardy Season 40 premieres Sept. 11.