How Longtime Friends Betty White & Alex Trebek Transformed Through The Years

Betty White and Alex Trebek were two of the most beloved stars in the history of television. As it turns out, the celebrated and universally trusted entertainers were friends in real life and shared one of the sweetest and most heartwarming friendships in Hollywood. Apart from being fans of one another, they spoke very highly of one another in interviews and even acted together on several different sitcoms. For White, having a sense of humor was so important, and it seems to be a trait that both stars shared.

Shortly before Trebek's heartbreaking death from pancreatic cancer in November 2020 at the age of 82, Trebek opened up about his future as the host of "Jeopardy!" He playfully revealed who he felt should take over for him when he eventually had to step down. In his mind, White was the perfect choice for the job. "I joke with the audience all the time and I say, 'Betty White,' because they want somebody younger, somebody funnier," Trebek told "Good Morning America" during a sitdown interview in July 2020 (via the Chicago Tribune). "Betty and I have been friends for a long, long time."

White sadly died just over a year after Trebek, on December 31, 2021, at the age of 99. However, apart from being friends with Trebek for decades, she made it very clear how much she loved the game show host and the show itself. She went so far as to admit Trebek was something of a celebrity crush for her. When asked by The New York Post about her love for game shows, White confessed, "I watch 'Jeopardy!' First, it's such a good game and second, I happen to have a huge crush on the host, Alex Trebek."

During her decades of fame, Betty White was a groundbreaking icon in the TV game show landscape. She made frequent appearances on game shows such as "The $25,000 Pyramid," "Match Game," "To Tell The Truth," and countless others. She also made history when she became the first woman to win a Daytime Emmy award for hosting a game show in 1983, for her work on the show "Just Men!" This was just one thing White had in common with Alex Trebek — who wound up earning eight Daytime Emmys over the course of his career. White and Trebek were both also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys, and they supported one another for years.

Trebek's forays into scripted shows were less frequent than White's work in game shows, but they still happened from time to time, with Trebek often playing himself. He notably appeared opposite White during an episode of "The Golden Girls" in 1992. The Season 7 episode "Questions and Answers" saw Dorothy (Bea Arthur) auditioning for "Jeopardy!" and dreaming about playing the game alongside White's character, Rose. Trebek played a fictionalized version of himself as the quizmaster in Dorothy's dream. Trebek also had a special appearance in a 2014 episode of White's sitcom "Hot In Cleveland."

White never got a chance to step into Trebek's shoes as the host of "Jeopardy!" Trebek's embarrassing replacement only lasted a day before losing the job, and the gig eventually went to Ken Jennings, not White. However, their friendship and enduring popularity as TV royalty will be remembered and celebrated for generations to come.