LeVar Burton on why his career on Star Trek, Reading Rainbow and more makes him perfect to host Jeopardy!

What LeVar Burton might look like hosting Jeopardy! "LeVar Burton" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

APRIL 13, 2021 - Last week, we told you that the “Make LeVar Burton the Next Host of Jeopardy!” petition at Change.org had reached nearly 200,000 signatures. Well, the petition has blown past that milestone, and it looks like Burton is now actively campaigning for the job.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Burton said that he had put quite a bit of thought into the idea of following the late Alex Trebek as host of the long-running game show, and he wasn’t short on confidence. “I've asked friends and family to help me identify someone out there who's more qualified for the job than I am,” he said. “I don't believe there is anyone out there who is better suited for this job than me [...] I think my whole career is an advertisement for being the host of Jeopardy!”

A lifelong fan of the show, Burton has been regularly watching Jeopardy! for more than 50 years, when the show was hosted by the late Art Fleming. Burton appeared on Celebrity Jeopardy! in 1995, besting the competition to earn $14,500 for his chosen charity, the Somalia Foundation. On that particular memory, Burton said, “Having the correct answer for Final Jeopardy is now crossed off my bucket list.” In addition to his love for Jeopardy!, Burton believes in the power of education, a value he says his mother instilled in him from a young age. “If you are ever going to fulfill your full potential,” he said, “then learning needs to be your friend.”

The support from fans has gained Burton’s attention too, so much that the actor and activist told EW, “It feels like [...] they really are behind me [...] They want this for me as much as I want it for me, I believe, because it makes so much sense to them too.”

To add your name to the petition in support of the “Make LeVar Burton the Next Host of Jeopardy!”, visit Change.org.