“Blue’s Clues” alum Steve Burns breaks his silence on the 'horror and heartbreak’ of Nickelodeon doc “Quiet on Set”

"The fact that this is now what everyone’s talking about at the watercooler, it just breaks my heart," said the Nick Jr. alum.

Steve Burns, the former Nick Jr. star who spent several years as the lead of Blue’s Clues, is responding to the disturbing allegations made against Nickelodeon in the five-part documentary series, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.

"I don't have any particular insight into any of that," Burns told Today of the revelations made in the doc. "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."

Quiet on Set, which premiered March 17, contains claims of a toxic work environment and abuse at the network during megaproducer Dan Schneider's reign in the 1990s-2010s. But despite his time with the network, Burns clarified that he personally has no relevant incidents to recount regarding the allegations against the network or its staff members.

"Nick Jr. and Nickelodeon [programming] were so different," Burns explained. "We’re in New York, they’re in LA. There’s no overlap whatsoever between any of those shows and what we were doing."

As Burns indicates, Blue's Clues was part of the network’s morning programming specifically geared toward preschoolers, whereas the Schneider-led shows were designed for kids and teens. Quiet on Set primarily centers around several series created and produced by Schneider, with various cast members from his biggest shows — Zoey 101, All That, The Amanda Show, and Drake & Josh — discussing their experiences at Nickelodeon. Among them is Drake Bell, who details the "extensive" sexual abuse he endured from network dialogue coach Brian Peck, who was later convicted of child molestation.

Amid the controversy, Burns said his thoughts are with the victims who are now reliving the traumatic incidents from their past.

“It’s got to be so unfathomably painful,” he said. “The fact that this is now what everyone’s talking about at the watercooler, it just breaks my heart.”

While this marks the first time Burns has directly addressed the docuseries, he previously posted a TikTiok “checking in” on fans days after Quiet on Set premiered. "Tell me what's going on,” he asked viewers in the video, before pausing and leaving space for people to vent their frustrations as he feigned listening.

Fans were quick to comment, connecting the video to the docuseries and thanking Burns for his timing. “After the Nickelodeon documentary, Steve, all I need is my Blue's Clues to save whatever is left of this childhood I once had,” one user wrote. Another added, “Thank you for being one of the GOOD parts of Nickelodeon, Steve.”

Burns led Blue’s Clues from 1996 to 2002, when he shocked viewers by announcing his departure in season 4. When his character, Steve, went off to college, Donovan Patton picked up the mantle as Joe. He solved mysteries with the titular dog until the series ended in 2006. A revival starring Joshua Dela Cruz, titled Blue's Clues and You, premiered in 2019.

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