Updated April 22nd, 2021 at 20:32 IST
LeVar Burton to guest host 'Jeopardy!' after weeks of online campaigning by fans
LeVar Burton is going to be a guest host on Jeopardy! this season after more than 2 lakh fans signed online petitions to see the star land the gig.
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LeVar Burton of the Star Trek and Reading Rainbow fame has landed himself a gig on Jeopardy! as a guest host. On Wednesday, the makers of the show announced that LeVar Burton will be the Jeopardy! host this week before the show closes out its current 37th season. LeVar Burton has always been vocal about wanting to host the show and had shared a Change.Org petition earlier this month on Twitter asking his fans to sign it and to campaign for him as the next Jeopardy! host. The star received about 246,000 online signatures from fans and now is about to live out his dream.
We can finally tell you! Here is the final group of guest hosts to close out Season 37:
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy)
• Robin Roberts
• George Stephanopoulos
• David Faber
• Joe Buck
• LeVar Burton!https://t.co/iAPNyy29pu pic.twitter.com/Twgef7i6b5
LeVar Burton on Jeopardy! gig
After the official account of Jeopardy! revealed its list of hosts who will be closing the 37th season this year, LeVar took to his Twitter space to thank his fans across social media who voiced their support of Burton's push to become the new permanent host of the show following the death of former host Alex Trebek, last year.
THANK YOU... to all y’all for your passionate support! I am overjoyed, excited, and eager to be guest-hosting Jeopardy!, and will do my utmost best to live up to your faith you in me. YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE! Go ahead and take my word for it, this time. https://t.co/C7mZWMok2X
— LeVar Burton (@levarburton)
Netizens were thrilled that their weeks of online campaigning did not go to waste. Excited by the news, fans shared that they hope to see Burton as a permanent member of the show in the seasons to follow and have been speculating that him being one of the final hosts is an indication that Jeopardy! might be considering to permanently hire him. Read some of the Twitter reactions below:
Never heard those names other than Levar Burton. He is the only choice, and he is perfect for the job.
— Tim (@El_Practice)
That is so awesome, Levar. What can we do to get you to become Jeopardy host permanently? I hope that the guest shot will result in being the host permanently.
— Pamela Dooley (@pameladdooley)
WooHoo! Jeopardy just got incalculably better!! Thank you, @levarburton for your awesomeness! 💙
— Jim Westbrook (@1Trek1)
Next up: Captain Geordi LaForge, CO USS Challenger.....in Star Trek: Picard. Please? 😎
You have no idea how happy this makes me, seeing that you will finally host Jeopardy! I grew up with you on Reading Rainbow and you’ve inspired me to have a passion for knowledge, which is exactly what Jeopardy! has done to others.
— Sir Simon A. | Celebrating 5 Years of BLC (@BabyLamb5)
I look forward to seeing you as the host!
Congratulations! And thank you, LeVar! Your passion for the knowledge we can obtain from literature is one of the reasons I’ve wanted to create a book since I was a child, and now I’m so happy to be closer to that goal than ever! ❤️📚 Can’t wait to see you on Jeopardy!
— J.P. Cocodrie⚜️ (@JPCocodrie)
Who are the Jeopardy! host this week to close the season?
The show has been searching for a permanent host ever since its long time host Alex Trebek died due to stage 4 pancreatic cancer last November. The 37th season of the show has seen a wide range of guest hosts as the channel is searching for a replacement. According to CNN reports, LeVar's episodes on Jeopardy! will be airing from July 26 to July 30 later this year. Apart from LeVar, the other celebs who will be the guest hosts as the show wraps up its season include George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts from Good Morning America, journalist David Faber and Celebrity Jeopardy champion, Joe Buck.
(Promo Image Courtesy: LeVar Burton and Jeopardy! Instagram)
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Published April 22nd, 2021 at 20:32 IST