The original Blue’s Clues host, Steve Burns, broke his silence this week about his departure from the popular children’s show in 2002, making millennials emotional in the process. In a video that quickly went viral on Twitter, Burns addressed his abrupt exit, saying he decided to go to college instead of continuing his acting career.
“You remember how when we were younger, we used to run around and hang out with Blue and find clues and talk to Mr. Salt and freak out about the mail and do all the fun stuff?” Burns, 47, said in the video shared on Tuesday. “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? Because I realize that was kind of abrupt.”
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He continued, “I just kinda got up and went to college. And the was really challenging, by the way, but great because I got to use my mind and take a step at a time and now I literally am doing many of the things that I wanted to do.”
Burns, who hosted the Nick Jr. show from 1996 to 2002 (and later returned for special episodes and a reboot), was nominated for a daytime Emmy in 2001, just before his departure and replacement by Donovan Patton, known on the show as his brother “Joe.” In the video, which is helping to promote Blue’s Clue’s 25th anniversary, Burns provided some emotional closure and inspiration to former viewers of the show.
After sharing what he had been up to since leaving the show, he said to the viewers, “And then you, and look at all you have done, and all you have accomplished in that time. And it’s just, it’s just so amazing, right? I mean, we started out with clues and now, it’s what? Student loans and jobs and families? And some of it has been kind of hard, you know? I know you know.”
“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. I guess I just wanted to say that after all these years, I never forgot you. Ever. And I’m super glad we’re still friends.”
He closed his emotional message with the send-off, “You look great, by the way. Whatever it is you’re doing, it’s working.”
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Pictured (L-R): Tom Selleck as Frank Reagan and Bridget Moynahan as Erin Reagan Boyle on 'Blue Bloods.' Photo: CBS -
Pictured: Tom Selleck as Frank Reagan on 'Blue Bloods.' Photo: CBS
