LeVar Burton admits he got off to a rough start in guest-hosting Jeopardy!, but he figured out how to have fun

The A.V. Club

When Burton asked his wife Stephanie Cozart Burton how he did after the first taping, she responded: "Ehhh." That's what Burton, whose weeklong stint as Jeopardy! host begins airing Monday, told the Seattle Times. Burton said he did loosen up for the final four tapings. "I made it my business for the next four chances at bat to just be myself, to forget about the procedure, to forget about the process, stop trying, stop focusing on the wrong thing. You’re not going to be smooth as Alex, let go of that. But what you can bring to the table is you," he said. "So that became my point of focus. And when it did, I started having fun." In an interview with the Associated Press, Burton said: “Being at home, it feels like a really relaxed half-hour, but it’s not relaxed at all. You can’t let your focus drop for a nanosecond.”