The classic children’s show “Blue’s Clues” will turn 30 years old in 2026. We still remember those days plopped in front of the TV, searching for that signature blue paw print left behind by the infamous blue dog (who is, yes, a female, and it still blows our minds to this day!).
Just like other infamous characters of morning children’s programs, Blue and her enthusiastic, green sweater-wearing owner, Steve, were a part of many childhoods. So, when Steve had to leave for “college” and left us and his handy-dandy notebook with his less popular, but still memorable, brother Joe (seriously, Joe, pick a sweater color!), it broke our hearts. Now, as adults, the nostalgia of our childhood is important, and so is our need to know what is going on with our favorite host, Steve, and what he looks like 30 years later?!
Steve left ‘Blue’s Clues’ in 2002 to pursue a music career.
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When Steve left the show in 2002, rumors swirled about the real reason for his departure.
Okay, so Joe wasn’t a terrible guy or anything, but Steve was just… Steve! He was special. His departure in 2002 left many questioning the real reason he had left. For some time after that, rumors about him circulated about drug addictions, and there were even reports that the actor had died.
He appeared on The Today Show in 2003, very much alive, to explain his departure from the beloved children’s show. And it turned out that he had quite an extensive music career. He released albums, collaborated with artists like The Flaming Lips, and even started a band. He even wrote the theme song for CBS’s “Young Sheldon.”
Steve’s age was another factor in his desire to pursue different career avenues.
Believe it or not, Steve was nearly 30 when he left the show, and he unabashedly told Variety that he was starting to lose his hair and had no interest in wearing a wig to look younger.
It went even beyond that, however. Steve was battling mental health issues. That positive, happy-go-lucky demeanor was hiding some pretty serious depression. He told the outlet, “I was the happiest depressed person in North America. 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.”
It took Steve quite some time to heal. “After I left ‘Blue’s Clues,’ there was a long period of healing. It wasn’t until the death of my father that I really started to take things seriously, and my life became so much more manageable.” His father’s passing in 2015 was not only the catalyst to fuel his own wellness journey, but it also launched him out of New York City and into a quieter life in upstate NY.
For the 25th Anniversary of ‘Blue’s Clues,’ Steve reprised the role that made him famous and brought joy to his now adult fans.
Posted to Nick Jr.’s X account, Steve, in his green striped shirt, addressed leaving the show in a way only Steve could. “You remember how, when we were younger, we used to run around and hang out with Blue … and then I left, and we didn’t see each other for a really long time? Can we just talk about that? Because I realize that was kind of abrupt.”
With absolute sincerity, he closed his message: “I just wanted to say, I never forgot you. Ever.” And he certainly didn’t. In fact, when it came to the series reboot in 2019, he not only made a cameo during the premiere, but he also helped pick the new host, Joshua Dela Cruz. “I had the great honor of being a part of the search for the new host, and I give Josh two thumbs up! He can definitely fill my shoes, and the rugby shirt.”
Steve launched a podcast in 2025, which he called a grown-up version of ‘Blue’s Clues.’
On September 17, 2025, at 51, Steve launched his podcast “Alive.” He told People, “I had that viral video during the pandemic [and] I guess since then, I had been kind of thinking I should do something with this access that I did not know I still had with this generation that I have,” he muses. “It seems that there was an opportunity to just continue the conversation — to simply scale it up for adults, which was a revelation to me.”
When asked what his podcast was about, he simply said, “It really is kind of the same thing [as Blue’s Clues]. I’m not gonna be speaking to furniture, and there are no magical, felt-puzzle-solving puppies to be found. But this is a podcast about you, and you are the celebrity guest on every episode. I am asking your opinion.”
No longer the young man in his early 20s, Steve’s personality still shines through. His hair may be thinner, and he wears glasses, but much like the kids who once watched him in wonder, we’ve all grown up. The beauty is that we grew up together.
Caithlin Pena is an editor and former contributor for YourTango. Her work has been featured on Thought Catalog, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Psych Central, and BRIDES.
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