In light of the latest Jeopardy! news, online interest in LeVar Burton has started to spike.
Burton began trending on Twitter shortly after Sony Pictures Television announced that Jeopardy! host Mike Richards stepped down just over a week after his promotion. This was the result of resurfaced comments Richards made on a podcast in which he mocked women's weight and referred to one model as a "booth slut."
Just before news of Richards' resignation broke, Burton ominously tweeted, "Happy Friday, y'all!"
Burton was one of several individuals to guest host Jeopardy! after the passing of Alex Trebek, and he was arguably the fan-favorite to land the gig permanently. Nevertheless, Sony appointed Richards -- already an executive producer -- as the new host, with Mayim Bialik tapped to lead primetime specials.
Burton's quest to host Jeopardy! gained public awareness when the actor shared a fan petition, which -- at the time of this writing -- has received over 268,000 signatures. The petition was subsequently signal-boosted by Burton's Star Trek: The Next Generation co-star Jonathan Frakes.
"I don't believe there is anyone out there who is better suited for this job than me," Burton previously stated. "I think my whole career is an advertisement for being the host of Jeopardy!"
Source: Twitter
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