Alex Trebek’s Gene Simmons KISS Costume Makes ‘Jeopardy!’ Farewell Video

Last night (Jan. 8) marked the airing of the final episode of Jeopardy! hosted by the legendary Alex Trebek, who died in November of last year after a 36-year run on the popular TV quiz show. In a touching video send-off, one highlight recalled the time Trebek was outfitted with Gene Simmons' KISS costume.

Trebek served as the ideal host of the gameshow, which sought to test contestants' knowledge in a wealth of different categories. Contestants also presented their own unique challenges in arriving to the correct answer that must always be presented in the form of question.

Jeopardy! captured the minds of generations, in large part to Trebek's quirky and playful sense of humor, which offered a sense of levity to the cerebral nightly trivia contest in the brief but memorable moments that humor was on display.

Part-way through the tribute clip, seen below, was a throwback to a Halloween special from 2018, which featured a guest appearance from KISS' Gene Simmons. Trebek underwent a dramatic transformation — painted face, big hair (thanks to a wig, of course) and a suit of Demon armor — in order to resemble the persona Simmons adopts onstage.

Trebek bravely battled pancreatic cancer at the end of his life, revealing in March of 2019 that his cancer diagnosis was Stage 4. Still, he continued filming Jeopardy! episodes despite the setback and his courage, grace and class remains an inspiration to countless viewers.

Additional moments from that Halloween 2018 special can be seen further down the page. One clip shows the transformation process Trebek underwent to mirror the KISS legend and the second is a fun-loving "Happy Halloween" message from the host and Simmons.

From all of us at Loudwire, thank you for the years of entertainment and wisdom you've afforded us and may you rest in peace, Alex Trebek.