LeVar Burton says he was wrecked after missing out on the Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings kicked off the roster of guest hosts after the late Alex Trebek’s final episodes aired. Featuring a mixed bag of talent behind the podium, including Mayim Bialik, Dr. Oz, Anderson Cooper, and Aaron Rodgers, Jeopardy! continued to search for a permanent host.
Last year, an online petition garnered from celebrities and fans alike that called for Reading Rainbow and Star Trek: The Next Generation star Burton to permanently host Jeopardy!. Shortly after the petition gained major traction, Jeopardy! announced that Burton would guest host the trivia show for a one-week stint. However, after Burton's time behind the podium, executive producer Mike Richards was announced as the permanent host. Ultimately, Richards was fired from Jeopardy! after past controversial comments resurfaced, and Jeopardy! then announced that Bialik and Jennings would share regular hosting duties until the end of season 38.
Speaking with Newsy's In the Loop (via EW), Burton its not landing the job was a very public defeat, and says he was "not just disappointed, but wrecked" by not being selected. He elaborates that he was one of the best candidates to take over the coveted position, and says he didn't expect he wouldn't be Jeopardy!'s top choice. Read what Burton had to say about losing the Jeopardy! job below:
Experiencing a very public defeat, humiliation, if you will, was sobering. And what I learned from the experience, really, is that it reinforced my belief that everything happens for a reason, even if you cannot discern the reason in the moment. In the fullness of time, everything will be revealed. And like I said, it was I think in that first week of feeling really sort of not just disappointed, but wrecked. I didn't expect that I would not be their choice for host. I honestly thought that I was well-suited for it. As it turns out, it really wasn't a competition, after all, the fix was in.
Throughout his formidable career, Burton has resonated with his audience by being an excellent role model, and continuously promoting positivity made him an ideal choice to take over for Trebek. However, Jeopardy! opted not to pick Burton and continues to leave viewers wondering who will be named the permanent host. His journey with Jeopardy! may not have lasted long, but his time behind the lectern was memorable for fans. As it stands, Burton is slated to host a new Trivial Pursuit-inspired game show and the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Jeopardy! brought some time by setting Bialik and Jennings as hosts for season 38, but for now, it's unclear if producers will choose one of them to host the trivia game show permanently. However, the decision on the permanent host needs to happen before season 39 begins production. Hopefully the permanent host of Jeopardy! is named soon, but from his comments, it sounds like Burton is very much off the table as an option.
Source: EW