When did Steve Burns leave Blue's Clues? Host set to launch new podcast to teach former viewers about "adulting"

Nearly 23 years after leaving the popular educational kids' TV show Blue's Clues, Steve Burns is back, this time with a podcast to help his former viewers with "adulting."

For the unversed, the show, which premiered on Nickelodeon in 1996, featured a puppy named Blue and her friend Steve Burner as the host until 2002. After Steve left the show, he was replaced by Donovan Patton, who portrayed Steve's brother Joe.

Fans of the show were left unclear about Steve's unexpected departure from the show. However, on September 7, 2021, Steve released a video around the show's 25th anniversary explaining his reason for leaving. Burns shared that he went off to college during that time. Calling his departure "abrupt," he added:

"I just kinda got up and went to college. And that 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."

Meanwhile, in a press release on Wednesday, the original host of Blue's Clues shared that he is collaborating with Lemonada Media to launch his "cozy and delightful weekly series" Alive.

Explaining the idea of Alive, Steve said that the podcast will explore "adulting" and "what it means to stay human in a complicated world." He expressed that the podcast is a continuation of the same conversation he had with kids, who are adults now and still figuring out life.

"There are a thousand podcasts you can listen to, this is one that listens back. I really want to continue what we started decades ago. For us, it was all about curious investigation. It was about looking a little closer. About asking the right questions. About following the clues that helped lead us toward greater understanding," Steve Burns said in the press release.

He added:

"‘Alive’ is really just a continuation of that same conversation — only now we’re grown-ups, trying to make sense of a world that’s a whole lot more complicated."

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"It would be part-podcast, part-conversation" — Steve Burns shares the format of Alive

In an Instagram post, uploaded on June 25, 2025, Steve Burns shared the inspiration behind the podcast, stating, "Lots of people are shouting and no one is listening" these days. He also revealed the format of the podcast, adding:

"It would be part-podcast, part-conversation, kinda like this. I wanna hear what you think. I wanna hear your ideas. This could be cool."

The news release also mentioned that the idea for the podcast was sparked by the same video Burns uploaded on September 7, 2021, where he opened up about his unexpected departure from Blue's Clues in 2002.

Steve Burns stated that he "found himself in conversation again" with millions of fans who had watched him as kids and still "considered him a friend."

"We're still searching, still learning, still trying to connect. Still doing our best to lead deeply examined lives, together. And, you know, there'll be less talking furniture, sure, but we’re still going to have a lot of fun along the way," Steve Burns added.

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Alive by Steve Burns is set to launch this fall.

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Edited by Ameen Fatima