Fans have started a petition to make Burton the next host of the iconic game show. After his role on Roots, hosting 21 seasons of Reading Rainbow, and playing “brainiac engineer” Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation, fans think Burton is the right man for the job. “LeVar Burton has inspired and shaped the minds of several generations of trivia-loving nerds,” the petition reads. “This petition is to show Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. and producers Mike Richards and Harry Friedman just how much love the public has for Burton, and how much we’d all love to see him as the next host of Jeopardy!” So far, the petition has more than 86,800 signatures out of the 150,000 it is asking for—and it was only created six days ago. Petition signers have left all sorts of kind messages about Burton, with one saying he “was born to do [the] show” and another saying that they “can think of no better successor to the late Alex Trebek.” The petition has become so widespread that even Burton himself has seen it. On Nov. 12, the actor tweeted, “Even if nothing comes from it, I can’t tell how much I appreciate all y’alls love and support!” Of course, Burton is not the only name being thrown around as a possible successor to Trebek. Keep reading for more celebrities who could take on the job as the next host of Jeopardy!, and for more on the former host, discover The One Type of Jeopardy! Contestant Alex Trebek Hated the Most. Betty White was someone Trebek himself named as a possible replacement for his job. “I joke with the audience all the time and I say, ‘Betty White,’ because they want somebody younger, somebody funnier. Betty and I have been friends for a long, long time,” Trebek told ABC News’ T.J. Holmes during an interview with Good Morning America in July of this year. And for more legendary ladies, this is The Biggest Female Icon Every Year Since You Were Born.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Ken Jennings became a celebrity because of his long stint on Jeopardy! The Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time champion is now a consulting producer on the show, which means many think he is the obvious choice for the next host. “I mean, it’s absolutely a dream job,” Jennings told The Deseret News in April when asked if he could see himself as the next host. “But I really can’t even think about anybody but [Trebek] hosting the show.” And if you’re a fan of the show, Can You Correctly Answer These Daily Double Jeopardy! Questions? This GMA co-host may actually be vying for the role. During a May interview on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show, George Stephanopoulos told Stern that he was interested in the role, but that whoever takes the job has “big shoes to fill.” And for more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. Anderson Cooper was apparently in the running as a possible replacement all the way back in 2014. According to the New York Post, the CNN anchor and repeated Celebrity Jeopardy! contestant was a “top contender” to replace Trebek after his retirement, as revealed in emails released during the 2014 Sony email hack. And for more on Cooper, find out The One Guest Anderson Cooper Banned From His Show.
