'Reading Rainbow's LeVar Burton Is 'Flattered’ By Fan Petition To Replace Alex Trebek On 'Jeopardy!'

It's so rare that a celebrity's death is felt around the world as deeply and as strongly as the world felt the passing of longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. Trebek died at the age of 80 earlier this week after being diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in 2019.

Now, fans are calling for another beloved TV show host to replace him.

As *Jeopardy!* fans know, Alex had been the host of the beloved trivia show for 37 years.

As the times changed, Alex's warm and gentle presence on the show every night was a constant in all of our lives.

Saying he will be missed is an understatement.

Now, fans are suggesting who they believe should replace the iconic TV host.

A petition for The Reading Rainbow's LeVar Burton to take the Jeopardy! hosting gig is already at over 60 thousand signatures.

"Between hosting 21 seasons of the educational Reading Rainbow, playing the brainiac engineer Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: the Next Generation, and filling the roll of Kunta Kinte in the ever-important mini-series Roots, 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*!"

The petition has already garnered nearly 90,000 signatures!

As far as LeVar goes, he finds the idea of him replacing Alex Trebek incredibly flatting.

"Even if nothing comes from it, I can't tell how much I appreciate all y'alls love and support!" he tweeted.

Honoring Alex's legacy, LeVar added: "Of course while I’m very flattered by the petition, my thoughts are definitely with Alex Trebeck’s (sic) family and his millions of fans and the devastating loss of this irreplaceable legend. #LongLiveAlex."

Filed Under: