If you are a ‘90s kid, you probably remember watching Blue's Clues and yelling at your television to tell Steve (Steve Burns) where the pawprint was. For an entire generation, Burns is the host for the series, and was so incredibly tied to it that when he left, fans were devastated to not know what happened to their friend. Following Burns’ departure, two additional hosts followed: Donovan Patton as Joe, and Joshua Dela Cruz as Josh. But with so many connected to Burns, you probably noticed a lot of adults watching Blue's Big City Adventure when it released this past November, which unites all three former hosts.
While Burns’ return was an exciting one, why did he leave Blue’s Clues at all? Back in 2022, Burns opened up to Variety about his departure, revealing it was partially due to him pushing 30. So all those theories about if he died? Untrue. But one of the other major reasons that Burns left the show was that he was battling depression and needed to take care of himself:
"I didn’t know it yet, but I was the happiest depressed person in North America. I was struggling with severe clinical depression the whole time I was on that show. It was my job to be utterly and completely full of joy and wonder at all times, and that became impossible. I was always able to dig and find something that felt authentic to me that was good enough to be on the show, but after years and years of going to the well without replenishing it, there was a cost.”
Steve Burns Has Since Returned to Blue’s Clues
Along with Blue’s Big City Adventure, Burns remained a major part of the Blue’s Clues universe, becoming an integral creative member for the Nickelodeon revival series Blue’s Clues and You. In May, he reprised his role for the episode “The Case of the Missing Thinking Chair,” in which he helped Josh and Blue solve the mystery. Burns also noted in the Variety interview that his experience playing Steve is better than ever: “I’ve never enjoyed being Steve more than I do now,” Burns said. “I get to wear a trench coat. It’s like Grover-meets-Columbo — a clown character. That’s really freeing somehow.”
Burns has also made the rounds for conventions, most recently appearing at FAN EXPO Philadephia at the beginning of June 2023. After stepping away, he revealed that even with the reboot, he was “pretty done with it,” adding that it was a long time ago. He likened it to one of the Rambo movies, in which he completely stepped away from it. However, the revival was a great re-entry point for him because he “had no responsibilities, Josh had to do all the hard work,” and Burns could write himself in as a fun guest star. He reiterated his sentiment about the joy playing Steve brings him now, but also noted that it’s “difficult to internalize” his positive effect on audiences and it can sometimes be overwhelming.
And if you were wondering whether Burns has a favorite among the household objects we've come to love, it turns out he does. The answer? Mr. Salt.