How Blue's Clues Star Steve Burns Really Feels About Quiet On Set
This article contains allegations of child abuse, sexual assault, and discussions of mental health.
Steve Burns, the former host of the beloved Nick Jr. classic "Blue's Clues," is speaking out about the deeply disturbing allegations of abuse and assault behind the scenes at Nickelodeon in the Investigation Discovery docuseries "Quiet on Set." "I don't have any particular insight into any of that," Burns told Today.com, noting that he wasn't aware of the allegations before watching the documentary. "I'm coming to it much the same as anyone else, with horror and heartbreak. It's just terrible to watch it unfold. I don't know what else to say, other than that it's heartbreaking."
Burns, of course, is referring to allegations by Drake Bell and other former Nickelodeon child stars who have centered their accusations on two men in particular: now-disgraced producer Dan Schneider and Brian Peck. Schneider was accused of creating overwhelmingly toxic work environments; Peck served 16 months in jail for sexually abusing Bell.
So how did Burns manage to stay away from the apparently horrific conditions at Nickelodeon? "Nick Jr. and Nickelodeon (programming) were so different," Burns revealed. "We're in New York, they're in LA. There's no overlap whatsoever between any of those shows and what we were doing."
After Quiet on Set aired, Steve Burns appeared to check on adult Nickelodeon fans
Steve Burns went on to say that he can't even imagine how difficult the release of "Quiet on Set" has been for the people affected by bad actors at Nickelodeon. "It's got to be so unfathomably painful. The fact that this is now what everyone's talking about at the watercooler, it just breaks my heart," Burns explained to Today.
It certainly seems as if Burns sent a message to fans on social media as well, though he didn't directly name the docuseries in his post. On March 20, Burns posted a TikTok to his account asking viewers to check in with him and apparently making sure they were okay before simply sitting in silence and looking meaningfully into the camera.
Unsurprisingly, most of the comments on the post reference Nickelodeon and "Quiet on Set," with viewers all thanking Burns for his caring demeanor and kind nature. Actor Ethan Trace, wrote, "Thank you for being one of the GOOD parts of Nickelodeon, Steve."
What has Steve Burns been doing since Blue's Clues?
Kids who loved Nick Jr. — the younger counterpart to Nickelodeon — are definitely familiar with Steve Burns, who hosted "Blue's Clues" from 1996 to 2002 (he was ultimately replaced by "Joe," played by Donovan Patton, when Burns left the show). As the only human in an adorable computer-generated world, Steve checked the mail, had playtime, and just hung out with his loyal dog Blue, always asking the viewer questions along the way to keep them engaged and involved — with each episode centering around, well, Blue's "clues" about what she wants to do with Steve that day.
These days, Burns lives quietly in upstate New York and still occasionally talks about the show that made him famous. In 2022, he told Variety that he struggled with severe depression while making the show. "I didn't know it yet, but I was the happiest depressed person in North America," Burns revealed. "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," Burns admitted. That same year, Burns appeared in the Paramount+ film "Blue's Big City Adventure" and has done some behind-the-scenes work on the reboot, so happily, it's clear he still feels affection for a show that meant so much to so many people.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.