LeVar Burton does his “Jeopardy!” start

“Jeopardy! Longtime fan LeVar Burton finally got his behind-the-desk moment on Monday.

The former “Reading Rainbow” host, also known for his roles in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Roots”, will host the show until July 30.

“As a longtime viewer of the show, I am delighted to have the opportunity to be the guest host ‘Jeopardy!’ I’m proud to be here to honor Alex’s legacy. I’ll do my best to make sure these talented “Jeopardy!” Contestants also enjoy their moment here, ”said Burton at the top of the interview. Monday show.

Burton is on a list of interim hosts replacing Alex Trebek, died of pancreatic cancer in November after hosting the game show for almost 40 years.

“When this opportunity presented itself, I couldn’t pass it up,” Burton said in a video on the show’s YouTube page.

After Trebek’s death, Burton fans have created a petition on Change.org with the aim of having him appointed as a permanent replacement for Trebek. The petition, which had hundreds of thousands of signatures, was approved by Burton himself in April.

“People have been talking,” Burton told “CBS This Morning” at the time. “All the support and love that I have received throughout this time has been phenomenal. The fact that there are so many people supporting me whether I get the job or not, I won . I really did. ”

Other guest hosts who took a tour included “Good Morning America” anchors Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos and NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Award-winning sports presenter Joe Buck is also on the list of upcoming guest hosts.