"Jeopardy!" has no plans to name a new host anytime soon following the death of Alex Trebek, but fans of the game show have a good idea of who they would like to see fill his shoes. Trebek passed away on Nov. 8 at age 80 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Since then, several names have been tossed around as his replacement but one stands out in particular - LeVar Burton.
The 63-year-old actor is best known for his role as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge on "Star Trek: the Next Generation" and fans are now calling for him to step up as the next host for "Jeopardy!"
"LeVar Burton has inspired and shaped the minds of several generations of trivia-loving nerds," a Change.org petition that has garnered over 57,373 as of Friday morning, 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!"
Another potential replacement could be ABC News journalist George Stephanopoulos, who reportedly has his eye on the role. During a May interview with Howard Stern, Stephanopoulos said he was interested in the hosting job but that Trebek's replacement would have "big shoes to fill."
"I think it would be a lot of fun. But I like what I'm doing, too," he told Stern.
Other potential candidates tapped by CBS News include Ken Jennings, who is regarded as the greatest "Jeopardy!" player of all time, "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak, as well as CNN legal analyst Laura Coates.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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