'Jeopardy!': LeVar Burton Says He Was ‘Wrecked’ After Not Getting Hosting Gig
LeVar Burton is responding a bit more candidly after it was announced that he would not be the new permanent host for the classic game show Jeopardy!
In an interview with “In the Loop” on Newsy, the Roots star shared that he was “not just disappointed, but wrecked,” at the news that he was passed over for the gig, the New York Post reports.
“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,” Burton said.
The beloved Reading Rainbow host added: “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.”
Jeopardy! Began its search for a new host of the trivia show after longtime host Alex Trebek died from pancreatic cancer in 2020. Several stars including Burton, Ken Jennings, Mike Richards and Mayim Bialik appeared as fill-in guest hosts before a decision was made on who would be the new face of the show.
Ultimately, Bialik and Jennings have been tag-teaming on the hosting duties over the last season of the show. Burton, in the meantime, has been preparing to host the 2022 Scripps Spelling Bee and a new game show, Trivial Pursuit.
The full Newsy interview with LeVar Burton airs at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday (June 1).
