Why is Steve Burns making us cry? Will he return to ‘Blue’s Clues’?

Steve Burns, the original host of the Nick Jr. show Blue’s Clues has now seemingly realized in his older years just how traumatic his departure from the show was for children of that generation. Now, as the children of the 90s have grown into adults, suffering through other traumas of the world such as a global pandemic, Burns has recognized that now might be the most appropriate time to explain why he left. 

Yesterday, on Nick Jr.’s Twitter feed, Steve Burns stepped in front of that iconic animated background, sporting his green striped shirt as well as a pair of glasses and a hat to explain why he abruptly left the show when he did, noting how it affected him just as much as it affected us. You see, Steve was the one person that we counted on every day to show up, a friend who would never and could never let us down.

Now, as a way to say thank you as well as celebrate twenty-five years of Blue’s Clues, Steve Burns has finally clued us in on why he had to leave the show when he did, and while we certainly hold no grudges against our favorite 1990s host, the explanation as well as the heartfelt message is very much appreciated. We’re not going to lie, we’ve teared up while watching this, and if you grew up in this era, you’ll likely tear up too. 

Welcome home, Steve

“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 says in the emotional video, clueing fans in one why he suddenly had to depart from the show in 2002. “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.” 

He continued: “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 realized that was kind of abrupt.” Steve Burns then touched on how he had left for college, and that the tools he learned from there as well as from his run on the show helped shape him into the man he is today, dealing with student loans and family. Now, here comes the emotional spot. 

“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,” Burns said. “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.”

Blue’s Clues

Blue’s Clues, which first debuted on Nick Jr. back in September of 1996, was a live-action/animation hybrid educational children’s program that invited viewers into the home of Steve and his animated dog, Blue. Together, the pair along with their audience would spend the episode searching for lost items by tracking down a series of clues, or pawprints, that would lead us to the item we’ve been searching for. 

Once Burns left the show in 2002, the series would see his fictional brother Joe, played by actor Donovon Patton take the reins as the show’s host, a role he would fill for five years before ending his own Blues Clues run in 2006. In 2018, Nick Jr. would move forward with a reboot titled Blues Clues & You!, with Joshua Dela Cruz being tapped as the host. The show debuted during Thanksgiving of 2019.