LeVar Burton selected to host the 94th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee

"LeVar Burton" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

DECEMBER 16, 2021 - Always the literary advocate, Star Trek: The Next Generation actor LeVar Burton has been selected to host the 94th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee. The announcement was made Friday by the E.W. Scripps company, which hosts the competition.

LeVar Burton has been keeping busy in the past year. After a long, but ultimately unsuccessful campaign to replace the late Alex Trebek as the host of Jeopardy!, Burton moved on to his next project, serving as the host and executive producer of the upcoming Trivial Pursuit game show. Now, Burton will be heading to the Washington D.C. area next June to host the semifinals and finals of the “nation’s longest-running educational program”.

“The selection of Mr. Burton as host aligns with the mission of the Scripps National Spelling Bee,” said Dr. J. Michael Durnil, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. “To have such a prominent advocate for children’s literacy involved in this special and unique competition is a perfect match. We have the same goals: to educate tomorrow’s leaders and build reading competency in all young people.”

Burton is looking forward to the event. In a statement, he said, “Hosting the Scripps National Spelling Bee will be an honor, [...] Like a lot of folks, I look forward to the competition every year and am excited to be a part of this wonderful tradition that celebrates excellence.”

The final rounds of the 94th Scripps National Spelling Bee will take place June 1st and 2nd, 2022. The event will be broadcast on both the ION and Bounce networks, as well as cable and streaming platforms with more broadcast details expected in early 2022.