LeVar Burton says not getting ‘Jeopardy!’ job was ‘humiliating’: ‘The fix was in’

LeVar Burton is still holding resentment for not getting the “Jeopardy!” hosting job.

The 65 year old was a guest on “In the Loop” and shared how loosing the permanent hosting position left him “not just disappointed, but wrecked. “

After longtime host Alec Trebek died of pancreatic cancer in 2020, several candidates were in the running to take over the coveted position. Ken Jennings, Mayim Bialik and Mike Richards were just a few.

LeVar Burton still harbors resentment about the hosting job for “Jeopardy!” going to someone else.
(Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

“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 shared.

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Although the former “Star Trek: The Next Generation” star was not given the hosting gig, he was able to be a guest-host for an episode that aired in 2021.

” All will be revealed in the fullness of times. Burton said that, “It was in that first week of feeling really kind of not only disappointed but also wrecked.” “I didn’t think I would be their host choice. “

Despite this setback, Burton didn’t give up on his dream of hosting a game-show host. He said that he would be the host and creator of a new game-show inspired by Hasbro’s “Trivial Pursuit.”

LeVar Burton was able guest host an episode of “Jeopardy!” in 2021.
(Sony Entertainment)

“The doors have been opened. The doors have been opened. Burton shared that the phone has not stopped ringing and that if I had not gotten that job, I wouldn’t have experienced these things, such as hosting the Scripps Spelling Bee. He added: “So it was a big learning experience for me and just being able to sit in discomfort long enough for me to discover what was really going to happen around this game show thing. “

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Burton went on to share how much of a fan he was of “Jeopardy!” He claimed that he would have been the perfect person for the role.

” It was my favorite game show. It was. Burton explained that I had watched the show since I was in third grade, and Art Fleming was the presenter.” “And I honestly believed that I was well-suited to it. As it turns out, it really wasn’t a competition, after all — the fix was in. “

LeVar Burton revealed that he plans to host a game show based on Hasbro’s “Trivial Pursuit”
(Ian Tuttle/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize )

He shared that he learned valuable lessons by going through this adversity.

” I believe I’m still mining some lessons from that experience,” said he. He stated, “First and foremost I believe in betting on myself and I would encourage everyone to do the same.” “I’m always going bet on myself.”

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In the current season of “Jeopardy! ” Bialik and Jennings have switched off hosting various episodes after Richards was fired from the game show in August 2021. On a podcast episode, he made inappropriate jokes about women.

On May 10, Jennings revealed he would be stepping back from the hosting position and will let Bialik resume the full-time responsibility.