LeVar Burton Seems to Be a Fan Favorite to Become the Next Permanent 'Jeopardy!' Host
Published July 26 2021, 2:35 p.m. ET
Ever since the tragic death of Alex Trebek in 2020, a slew of celebrities have stepped up to the task of hosting Jeopardy!, giving the show a fresh and interesting perspective with each host. However, the next celebrity guest host, LeVar Burton, seems to have ambitions to make his role on Jeopardy! a bit more permanent than the stars who have come before him.
So, what is it that makes LeVar's time as the host of Jeopardy! different from all of the other stars who have been tapped since early 2020 to fill the role? Here's a breakdown of his salary, net worth, ambitions on the show, and more.
What is LeVar Burton's salary for hosting 'Jeopardy!'? He seems to be making the same decision that other hosts have made.
Ever since other celebrities began filling in for Alex's role after he died, the one constant has been that Jeopardy! donates an amount equal to the winnings from each game to the charity of the host's choice. Per The Ringer, this is done in lieu of payment for the guest host.
So while it appears that none of the guest hosts are earning money from their hosting gigs, fans can rest assured that all of the money is being used to benefit noteworthy causes of each host's choosing.
LeVar shared during a promotional video for his guest host stint that the money from his episodes would be donated to the nonprofit organization Reading Is Fundamental, which works to ensure that children are afforded all opportunities to develop their literacy.
What is LeVar's net worth? He has had quite a successful career in the spotlight.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, the former Reading Rainbow host has made quite an impressive sum of money through his time in the spotlight. With a reported total net worth in 2021 of around $6 million, he has clearly done well for himself as an actor, director, producer, and presenter.
His 1977 acting debut playing the role of Kunta Kinte on the classic ABC series Roots solidified him as a star from early on, and LeVar's famed work in film, television, and the public eye over the years have helped him maintain that star status.
LeVar has been talking about how much he wants to host 'Jeopardy!' since around 2013.
While it may seem as though a lot of the famous faces tapped to host Jeopardy! were pulled out of thin air, LeVar stands out from the crowd in the sense that he has made hosting the show a public goal of his for almost a decade now.
Back in 2013, the former Star Trek star tweeted that his "dream job" would be to be the next host of Jeopardy!, and it seems as though eight years later it is finally coming to fruition.
That wasn't the only time he mentioned an inclination to take on the role. In 2018, LeVar doubled down on the wish, tweeting out again, "There is only one game show I’ve ever wanted to host ... This Is Jeopardy!" That same year, when TMZ approached him in an airport about these claims, he made sure to stand firm on the notion that the role is where he saw himself in the future.
When rumors of Alex's retirement began circulating in 2020, LeVar threw his hat in the ring once again, tweeting a message of interest in the job. "Not gonna lie, I feel like I’ve been preparing my whole life to occupy the @Jeopardy host podium when Alex retires." This announcement, as with all of the others, came with massive support from fans.
Indeed, the wish for LeVar to get a permanent hosting gig goes beyond just LeVar hoping for it himself; a change.org petition from November 2020 has amassed nearly 300,000 signatures from viewers calling for the show's producers to make LeVar the show's host.
Only time will tell what comes of LeVar's role on the show, but in the meantime, catch new episodes of Jeopardy! weekdays at 7 p.m. EST on ABC.