Editor's note: The video above is from November 2020.
LeVar Burton has given up on the dream of being the permanent host of "Jeopardy!" and says he's exploring creating his own game show.
In an interview with "The Daily Show" posted Friday, Burton said he had support from adults who grew up watching him on "Reading Rainbow." There was a huge social media campaign to get him the job.
But Burton said that the experience wasn't what he envisioned for himself and that he thinks he's better off for it.
"The crazy thing is that when you set your sights on something -- you know they say 'Be careful of what you wish for' -- because what I found out was that it wasn't the thing that I wanted after all."
Burton said he wanted to compete, but he also wanted the job initially. He was one of several guest hosts over the past year following the death of Alex Trebek last November.
Ultimately Sony chose then-executive producer Mike Richards to host the syndicated show with actor and scientist Mayim Bialik hosting primetime special episodes.
"When I didn't get it, it was like 'What's next?'" he said. "And so the opportunities that have come my way as a result of not getting that gig, I couldn't have dreamt it up."
Noah compared it to a mythical shipwreck that leads you stranded on a magical island. Burton concurred.
"The island was where you were meant to be all along," Burton said.
That's when Burton said he and his team are working on creating a game show that would be a fit for him, but it's not yet clear what that will look like.
Watch the interview below. Warning: There is one profanity in the interview.
Richards has since left the show as both host and executive producer after past misogynistic and disparaging comments surfaced.
Sony announced Thursday that Bialik will stay on and split “Jeopardy!” hosting duties for the remainder of 2021 with all-time champion Ken Jennings. Jennings was the first guest host following Trebek's passing.
No on-air auditions of other potential hosts were announced.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.