LeVar Burton finally got his shot to guest host “Jeopardy!” and a chance to “honor” Alex Trebek’s legacy.
“As a longtime viewer of the show, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to guest host ‘Jeopardy!'” the former host of “Reading Rainbow” shared during his first day at the lectern, CBS News reported Tuesday. (RELATED: LeVar Burton Confirms He Has His Sights Set On Being The Next Host Of ‘Jeopardy!’)
“I’m proud to be here to honor Alex’s legacy,” he added. “I’m going to do my best to ensure that these talented ‘Jeopardy!’ contestants enjoy their moment here as well.”
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Levar Burton makes his ‘Jeopardy!’ guest host debut! pic.twitter.com/Wr26IsmJTQ
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) July 26, 2021
Shortly after Trebek lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in November, a petition was started by Burton fans in an effort to get him the permanent hosting gig of the popular game show. The Change.org petition garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures, and by April, Burton himself had endorsed the idea.
LeVar explained what a great opportunity it was to guest host the game show in a clip posted to YouTube.
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“I’ve been a fan of Jeopardy for all of my life,” Burton, who will host through July 30, shared. “When this opportunity came by, I could not pass it up.”