Millions Watched, but He Was Broke: Steve Burns Says ‘Blue’s Clues’ Fame Left Him Living In a Hallway

Steve Burns never expected to become the face of one of Nickelodeon’s most beloved children’s shows — and certainly not while living in a hallway and scraping by on voiceover gigs. American actor Steve Burns, wearing an orange Nickelodeon ‘The Big Help’ t-shirt, attends Nickelodeon’s 5th Annual ‘Big Help-A-Thon,’ held at Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles, California, 6th September 1998. Burns holds a toy figure of ‘Blue,’ the character from ‘Blue’s Clues’, the show Burns hosts. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images) In a recent appearance on actor Rainn Wilson’s “Soul Boom” podcast, the original “Blue’s Clues” host opened up about the unexpected path that led him to the role, the harsh financial reality behind the scenes, and the emotional toll his fame — and later, his disappearance —took on his mental health. Famous But Broke Burns described his time on “Blue’s Clues,” which he hosted from 1996 to 2002, as a “side hustle,” revealing that even as the show exploded in popularity, he wasn’t making enough to live comfortably. “Every waiter I ever knew made more money than I did for the first many seasons of that show,” he told Wilson. While millions of children tuned in to watch...