“What is ‘it’s about time’?”
That’s what “Jeopardy!”
fans are saying about the upcoming appearance ofLeVar Burton, who will be the guest host from July 26-30.
Finally, after an online petition drew some 250,000 signatures, producers signed the actor on (viaForbes).
He brought a love of books to generations of kids as host of PBS’s “Reading Rainbow.”
Plus, he was a past guest on “Celebrity Jeopardy!”
and he’s still rightly proud of his win.
He recently toldEsquirethat he’s wanted to be the show’s host as far back as 2013.
“Everything that I’m about is in the same vein as ‘Jeopardy!,'” he said.
is a bright spot in the nation’s consciousness."
So what was it like to see his hosting dream come true?
“Scary,” Burton toldThe Associated Press.
“Really, really, really scary.
Did I mention it was scary?”
“was the topper.
She said, ‘ehhh.'”
Fortunately, Burton was able to relax and focus on having fun during the four episodes that followed.
Now his hope is that he did well enough to become the permanent host.
He toldEsquire, “I feel like I’m right for this job.
If I don’t get it, I’ll be fine.
My life will go on.
I am enormously happy and content with who I am and what I do and how I do it.
I don’t expect that to change whether I get the ‘Jeopardy!’
job or not.”
and donated to Burton’s favorite charity, Reading Is Fundamental.
