LeVar Burton Broke His Silence On Twitter Following The Mike Richards 'Jeopardy!' Host Scandal

True to his character, Reading Rainbow star LeVar Burton is taking the latest Jeopardy! host announcement in stride.

Earlier this week, the internet erupted after Variety exclusively reported that Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards had entered into "advanced negotiations" with Sony Pictures Television to become Alex Trebek's successor.

Over the past few months, the show has been auditioning many guest hosts for the permanent position, with both LeVar and Mike getting a turn at the lectern. After running through a list of various celebrities, journalists and Jeopardy! prodigies — including Ken Jennings, Aaron Rodgers, Mayim Bialik and Robin Roberts — it looks like the show may have made its decision (though, to be clear, nothing has been formally announced).

Realizing that this news could mean he won't score the permanent host position, LeVar shared a heartfelt tweet thanking everyone for cheering for him.

"I have said many times over these past weeks that no matter the outcome, I’ve won," he wrote. "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."

Meanwhile, many fans and celebrities alike have expressed their outrage at Jeopardy! for eying Mike over the other hosting candidates. Among the critics were enthusiastic celebrities in particular.

"I would have watched jeopardy with Levar Burton otherwise I’m not interested," Rosanna Arquette tweeted. "The playing field was NEVER level. Never. His 'tryout', the lobbying it took to get it along with the scheduling of it against the freaking #Olympic , it being ONE week and ending a DAY before the leak of a host being chosen?! C’mon, Son!," Yvette Nicole Brown said.

What's more a Change.Org petition to make LeVar the next host of Jeopardy! has raised over 264,000 signatures so far.

LeVar has long been a favorite for the position at the lectern. As a lifelong fan of Jeopardy! and Alex, he once told Entertainment Weekly, "I don't believe there is anyone out there who is better suited for this job than me."

After guest hosting Jeopardy!, LeVar told USA Today that Sony was remaining "tight-lipped" with him and called the impending permanent host decision "one of the most closely guarded secrets" he's ever encountered.

In the same interview, LeVar explained how he would cope if he wasn't offered the hosting position.

"I expect that I will handle it like any disappointments. I'll be disappointed, and I will move on with my life," he said. "That's the nature of having an opportunity to mature in life is that your past experience informs the present, as well as your future."

He continued: "I am a firm believer in it's not what happens to you in life that determines who you are, it's what you do with what happens. So I know that whatever the outcome is, it's the perfect outcome for me. I will be perfectly okay. I will embrace whatever that outcome is."

As reported in the Variety story, a Sony Pictures spokesperson confirmed that "discussions were ongoing with several potential candidates" but wouldn't comment on Mike being the alleged frontrunner. At the moment, no decision to make Mike the new host has been announced.

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