Jeopardy! producers may have chosen Mike Richards as the new host of the show, but fans still wish LeVar Burton would take the job instead. On Tuesday, Mediaite published a Morning Consult poll showing that 14 percent of fans would choose Burton as their first pick to take over the quiz show. Only 3 percent of fans said the same about Richards.
Jeopardy! has gone through a whole season of celebrity guest hosts in the wake of Alex Trebek‘s tragic passing, promising that one of them would become the new permanent host in the end. Fans treated the season like a live audition process, but in the end, Sony Television Pictures executives chose Richards, an executive producer on Jeopardy!, over all the A-listers who had participated. Fans have been furious ever since, and Burton has seemed like the top choice judging by commentary on social media. Now, the poll shows how strong that sentiment really is.
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Burton was a fan-favorite choice from the beginning — he only found his way to the Jeopardy! podium after petitions and campaigns on social media from his fans. He hosted the show for a week, and many viewers agreed that he was a great fit for the format. The actor issued a statement saying that the love and support he received from fans is a prize to him in and of itself.
“I have said many times over these past weeks that no matter the outcome, I’ve won,” Burton tweeted. “The outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and fans alike has been incredible! If love is the ultimate blessing and I believe that it is, I am truly blessed beyond measure.”
Jeopardy! producers selected Richards to host the regular syndicated version of Jeopardy!, and actress Mayim Bialik to host spinoffs and special event episodes. In the Morning Consult poll, Bialik came in a close second to Burton with 13 percent of voters’ ballots. The poll also found that “more than half of Jeopardy! viewers (54 percent) said the new hosts made them neither more nor less interested in watching the game show.”
“About 1 in 3 viewers (32 percent) said they were more interested in tuning in, while 14 percent said the casting choices made them less interested,” Mediaite‘s report added. Some votes went to other guest hosts from throughout the season including Katie Couric, Aaron Rodgers, Anderson Cooper, Robin Roberts, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and former Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings.
Jeopardy! is off for the remainder of the summer but it will return for the fall TV season with Richards hosting the regular show and Bialik hosting at least one spinoff. So far, Jeopardy! producers have not commented on the poll about the new hosts.
