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'Jeopardy!' contestant notches lowest score ever in LeVar Burton's hosting debut

By Megan Armstrong | Last updated 7/27/21

At least 250,000 fans had been waiting for Reading Rainbow legend LeVar Burton to make his Jeopardy! guest-hosting debut, but Patrick Pearce will want to forget it.

Burton's weeklong stint on the daily trivia game show began Monday (July 26), and Pearce set the new all-time record for lowest total on a Jeopardy! episode with -$7,400:

here's my interview with the previous recordholder, who is just the greatest. JEOPARDY REDEMPTION TOURNAMENT NOW! https://t.co/icmYQ993z4
— Dan Kois (@dankois) July 27, 2021

The unwanted honor was previously held by Stephanie Hull and her March 2015 finish of -$6,800.

Matt Amodio, however, had a much better night:

Matt secured his 4th win with that Final Jeopardy! response! pic.twitter.com/iehXshA7Ka
— Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) July 27, 2021

Season 37 began last September with Alex Trebek at the helm, as he had been since 1984. Trebek died at 80 years old last November after a battle with pancreatic cancer, and that set in motion a revolving door of guest hosts. Burton is the third to last guest host for this season, which will conclude with David Faber (Aug. 2-6) and Joe Buck (Aug. 9-13).

Burton tweeted about his desire to host Jeopardy! known days after Trebek's passing, and fans backed him by started this Change.org petition that has been signed by nearly 259,000 people. The 64-year-old actor, director and host was announced as a guest host in late April:

THANK YOU... to all y’all for your passionate support! I am overjoyed, excited, and eager to be guest-hosting Jeopardy!, and will do my utmost best to live up to your faith you in me. YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE! Go ahead and take my word for it, this time. https://t.co/C7mZWMok2X
— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) April 21, 2021

The Emmy, Grammy and Peabody winner expanded with Good Morning America why the opportunity means so much to him: