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Steve Burns got his start on Nickelodeon’s 1996 hit show at 22 years old and skyrocketed to fame as it grew in popularity
All these years later, he’s still recognized — even without the iconic green striped shirt
Speaking to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview, Burns says he is occasionally recognized by fans, but almost all his experiences have been positive
Steve Burns admits that he’s often recognized by fans when he travels — but adds that his level of fame is “manageable.”
In a recent interview with PEOPLE about his forthcoming podcast, the former Blue’s Clues host says these days, he’s most often recognized for his social media posts rather than the 1996 show that first made him famous.
“I think [I’m recognized more] from social media at this point, you know, and I almost never post anything and I don’t know how to do it and I’m a Luddite about it,” Burns, 51, says with a laugh.
The former Blue’s Clues star got his start on Nickelodeon’s hit show at 22 years old. The program gained immediate success and reached No. 1 shortly after airing, and in 2000, he abruptly left the show when his character went to college. He passed the role down to his younger brother, Joe, played by Donovan Patton.
Years later, Steve revealed the truth behind his departure, opening up about the internal struggles he was facing at the time: “It was my job that day to provide America’s children with self-esteem, but I didn’t always have my own approval,” he told Today in April 2024.
Still, those who grew up watching Burns in his famous striped green shirt often remind him how special the show was with small tokens of appreciation.
He adds that the recognition comes with perks, saying that on a recent trip to New York City, “I got stuff for free all day — a free coffee, a free sandwich, you know, and, and it’s the sweetest thing imaginable because it is about relating, accidentally, but relating to people as adults from a place of joy from their childhood.”
“The people that used to watch the show now work in hotels and in the service industry, you know, they’re all adults who do stuff, so I get recognized — but it’s not like… I’ve known some famous people, and my life is not like that,” he adds. “I have a very marginalized, very manageable level of fame.”
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© Nickelodeon Network
Steve Burns and Blue the Dog on an episode of ‘Blue’s Clues’ in 1996.
So manageable, he adds, that on a recent trip, Burns found his hotel surrounded by paparazzi — none of whom tried to snap pics of him (save for a few selfies for their own personal memories).
“I was staying at the same hotel in New York as the entire cast of the Fantastic Four,” Burns shares. “And so every morning I would go out, leave the hotel, and there’d be like, you know, 40 paparazzi outside, and they’d all [hold up their cameras, then lower them.] And a couple of them asked to get selfies, and I was like, ‘Do you wanna use your big camera?’ And they’re like, ‘No.’ “
He adds, “I wouldn’t want to be anything else, you know.”
Burns’ new podcast — Alive, which debuted Sept, 17 from Lemonada Media — will see him connect with guests as diverse as hospice nurses, elected officials and celebrities. New episodes will be released weekly on all platforms and video will be available on YouTube.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source uk.news.yahoo.com ’
