Maybe don’t post this link on Twitter for a few days. LeVar Burton, a very popular write-in candidate to become Jeopardy!’s new host, has changed his mind about a job that he once considered to be his dream. (Seriously, the man even got involved with petitions.) Speaking with Trevor Noah on Thursday’s The Daily Show, Burton admitted that his mediocre guest-host performance affected his thoughts on if he wanted the lectern; he also stressed that perhaps he shouldn’t have been so vocal about campaigning in the aftermath of Alex Trebek’s death. “I made it public that I wanted it for myself, that it made sense to me, and they were all about it. It made as much sense to them as it did to me,†Burton said of his fans. “And, so, they wanted it for me as much as I wanted it.â€
However, once Burton filmed five Jeopardy! episodes over the summer, his mind was altered by the experience, which was further amplified after Mike Richards’s hiring. “The crazy thing is that when you set your sights on something, you know, they 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,†he explained. “What I wanted was to compete. I mean, I wanted the job, right, but then, when I didn’t get it, it was, like, well, okay, what’s next?†Burton said that because of his guest-host tenure, an abundance of opportunities have come his way “as a result of not getting†the job. “I never thought about hosting any other game show outside of Jeopardy!†he added. “But now, they went in a different direction with their show, which is their right, and now I’m thinking, well, it does kind of make sense, let me see what I can do. So we’re trying to figure out what the right game show for LeVar Burton would be.†For his sake, maybe steer clear of podcasts for a while. Be on the safe side.