LeVar Burton’s Highly Anticipated ‘Jeopardy!’ Hosting Stint Is Finally Here - Vanity Fair

After thousands of fans petitioned and he publicly lobbied for the job himself, LeVar Burton finally hosted Jeopardy! on Monday night. The former Reading Rainbow host and Roots star began his stint behind the lectern at ABC’s long-running trivia show with a tribute to the late Alex Trebek. “As a longtime viewer of the show, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to guest host Jeopardy!” Burton said. “I’m proud to be here to honor Alex’s legacy. I’m going to do my best to ensure that these talented Jeopardy! contestants enjoy their moment here as well.”

Burton’s five-episode run at Jeopardy!, which concludes on July 30, serves as an unofficial audition for the 64-year-old. More than two decades after winning an episode of Celebrity Jeopardy! in 1995, Burton has repeatedly expressed interest in the Jeopardy! gig. After Trebek announced his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, Burton voiced his hosting wishes in 2020, tweeting, “Not gonna lie, I feel like I’ve been preparing my whole life to occupy the @Jeopardy host podium when Alex retires.” More than 250,000 people signed a Change.org petition supporting Burton’s campaign to succeed Trebek.

Following the longtime host’s death last November, Jeopardy! began rotating guest hosts, which have included CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, The Big Bang Theory actor Mayim Bialik, and Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts. Burton was confirmed for a summer slot in April. “It’s difficult to explain, but there’s something inside me that says this makes sense,” Burton told The New York Times last month. “I feel like this is what I’m supposed to do. I have been watching Jeopardy! more or less every night of my life since Art Fleming was host. Jeopardy! is a cultural touchstone, and for a Black man to occupy that podium is significant.”

Burton reflected on his approach to hosting in an interview with  Good Morning America on Monday. “For me, my standard of excellence is so intense that my initial approach was to try and be as good as Alex was,” he remembered. “Of course, I realized right away that that was an impossibility. The man had 37 years to perfect his mastery.” Burton explained that after convening with his wife and makeup artist, Stephanie, he decided to change course. “I just went out there and tried to bring as much LeVar to the moment as I possibly could.”

Following Burton’s time as Jeopardy! host, CNBC’s David Faber and Fox commentator Joe Buck will close out season 37. All of the contestants’ winnings during Burton’s stint will be matched and donated to the children’s literacy nonprofit Reading Is Fundamental.

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LeVar Burton’s Highly Anticipated ‘Jeopardy!’ Hosting Stint Is Finally Here - Vanity Fair
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