VIDEO: ‘Blue’s Clues’ original host Steve Burns explains why he left the show and it’s the closure we all needed

Steve Burns appears in a video posted on the Nick Jr. Twitter account explaining why he left the show in 2002. (Nick Jr./Twitter)

Those who remember Steve Burns from the popular Nick Jr. show “Blues Clues” are finally getting the answers on why he left the show almost 20 years ago.

The original host made an appearance on the network’s Twitter account in a video posted Tuesday, in honor of the show’s 25th anniversary.

Recommended Videos



“And then one day, I was like, ‘Oh hey, guess what? Big news, I’m leaving. Here’s my brother Joe, he’s your new best friend,’ and then I got on a bus and I left and we didn’t see each other for like a really long time? Can we just talk about that? Great. Because I realize that was kind of abrupt,” he explained in the video.

Burns left the show in 2002, telling his “friends” he would be “going to college” and his brother Joe (played by Donovan Patton) would take over, according to CNN. The change had left many younger viewers upset.

To bring nostalgia and feels in his video, he wore the same shirt he used as a host during his time.

From “clues” to “student loans, jobs and families”, Burns closed his video with a heartfelt message to his millennial fans.

“I wanted to tell you that I really couldn’t have done all of that without your help and in fact, all the help that you helped me with when we were younger is still helping me today, right now. And that’s super cool,” he said. “I guess I just wanted to say that after all these years, I never forgot you. Ever.”

Social media users were floored with emotions after the video was posted that went viral, including those who grew up with Burns during his time as host. Here’s how they reacted:


About the Author:

A graduate of the University of Houston-Downtown, Ana moved to H-Town from sunny southern California in 2015. In 2020, she joined the KPRC 2 digital team as an intern. Ana is a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, a catmom of 3, and an aquarium enthusiast. In her spare time, she's an avid video gamer and loves to travel.