LeVar Burton: You Can Keep My Name Out Of Jeopardy!

LeVar Burton: You Can Keep My Name Out Of Jeopardy

LeVar Burton is done with Jeopardy. 

As previously reported, following the death of longtime Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, actor and producer LeVar Burton, 64, announced that he wanted the show to be his next gig.

LeVar Burton

Alex Trebek

LeVar Burton starred as a guest host from July 26-30, 2021, however, producers went on to select former Executive Producer Mike Richards over Burton as the host. 

Mike Richards was later dismissed from the position due to sexist comments made toward his assistant, leaving many hopeful that Burton still had a chance. But in September of this year, Burton retired his request.

Mike Richards, Levar Burton

In an interview, he said, 

“The crazy thing is that when you set your sights on something, they say be careful of what you wish for because what I found out is that it wasn’t the thing that I wanted after all. What I wanted was to compete. I mean, I wanted the job, right, but then, when I didn’t get it, it was, like ‘Well, okay, what’s next?”

He continued, 

“The opportunities that have come my way as a result of not getting that gig, I couldn’t have dreamt it up. If you had given me a pen and paper and said, ‘Well, so what do you want this to really look like?’ If it doesn’t include ‘Jeopardy,’ I wouldn’t have been this generous to myself.”

Although LeVar Burton has moved on from his request, many fans have not. Over the weekend, he replied to a fan who still wants the Star Trek star to host Jeopardy. Burton responded to the comment:  

“You can keep my name out of @jeopardy.” 

And followed up with, 

“Done Stepped.” 

LeVar Burton later pinned a conversation he had with a user that assumed the Reading Rainbow host would take the gig if given the right amount. On the post, he wrote, 

“Sometimes we f*** around and find out.” 

What are your thoughts on Levar Burton stepping away from Jeopardy? Share your thoughts in the comments.