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LeVar Burton Slams Journalist For Assuming He'd Take 'Jeopardy!' Gig 'In A Heartbeat'

John Sundholm
Sep. 20, 2021
LeVar Burton Slams Journalist For Assuming He'd Take 'Jeopardy!' Gig 'In A Heartbeat'
Tommaso Boddi/WireImage/Getty Images

LeVar Burton has had it with the Jeopardy! hosting conversation, and he's putting anyone who doubts him on notice.

Burton has been the Jeopardy! fandom's #1 choice for new host since the moment iconic host Alex Trebek passed away last year, especially for people who grew up with him as the host of the children's show Reading Rainbow back in the day.

But in the wake of Burton being passed over in favor of the scandal-plagued Mike Richards, whose tenure lasted just one day due to multiple allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination, Burton has made it clear he is done with the show.

And when Los Angeles Times journalist Stephen Battaglio tweeted he believed Burton would take the gig "in a heartbeat" if asked, Burton set him straight immediately.

See the tweet below.


The exchange comes on the heels of an interview with The Daily Show's Trevor Noah in which Burton described how his feelings about the Jeopardy! hosting gig changed after he wasn't offered the job.
Burton told Noah:
"…[T]hey say be careful of what you wish for, because what I found out is that it wasn't the thing that I wanted after all..."
"The opportunities that have come my way as a result of not getting that gig, I couldn't have dreamt it up."

After being called out for presuming to know Burton's feelings toward the show, Battaglio apologized to Burton.

But when he responded tersely to a fan of Burton's who pushed back further, Burton came back to put him in his place again.


After telling him "No, Stephen... you don't get a pass," Burton went on to explain he'd prefer Battaglio keep his name out of his mouth.

"I have a perspective on this entire J! saga which I intend to share at a time of my choosing, probably my memoirs. As a journalist I hope you can appreciate that any and all speculation about my motives or intentions is simply uninformed."

Soon, the Burton-Battaglio back-and-forth was being screenshot and presented as a lesson for how not to conduct yourself on Twitter.


And Burton put the whole thing to bed once and for all with a perfect one-sentence clapback.


Burton's handling of Battaglio had people on Twitter cheering.










The producers of Jeopardy! have yet to find a new host for the show, which will be helmed by former champion Ken Jennings and Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik while they continue the search.