LeVar Burton: Permanently hosting Jeopardy! is 'what I'm supposed to do'

Who should be the next permanent Jeopardy! host? LeVar Burton is continuing to make his case.

The Reading Rainbow host and Star Trek actor will serve as a guest host of Jeopardy! next month after fans campaigned for him to get behind the lectern, and he's been open about the fact that he believes he should be picked as the late Alex Trebek's permanent successor. He spoke about that further in a new interview with The New York Times Magazine.

"It's difficult to explain, but there's something inside me that says this makes sense," Burton said. "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."

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When asked how tough it would be if the show ended up choosing someone else, Burton acknowledged, "It will hurt. I'm not going to lie. But if that happens, I will get over it. I will be fine. Remember: Everything happens perfectly and for a reason. That is my default. It's all going to be OK. Because it always is."

Burton certainly has plenty of support from fans, as a petition to make him the next host of Jeopardy has amassed over 250,000 signatures. His guest hosting stint is scheduled to begin on July 26, and with other frontrunners for the job including former champion Ken Jennings, it shouldn't be long before the long-awaited hire is made. For now, though, CNN's Sanjay Gupta is next in line to take over as host for two weeks beginning Monday.