When Josh Dela Cruz auditioned to become the host of Blue's Clues & You!, he was unaware of the scope of the search. As he revealed during a conversation with BUILD Series, it wasn't until he'd received his first callback that he discovered he was among 3,000 actors in contention for the role — including, it was rumored, WWE star John Cena (although that was never under serious consideration, and sprang from the wrestler making a joking bid for the role during Nickelodeon's 2018 upfronts).
As it turns out, the original Blue's Clues host, Steve Burns, was part of the team that chose Dela Cruz. As the former host declared in a Nickelodeon press release, "I give Josh two thumbs up! He can definitely fill my shoes, and the rugby shirt."
On Dela Cruz's first day of filming, he told BUILD Series, Burns pulled him aside and offered some advice. "We cast you because we love you, and we love what you're bringing to the table," he recalled, with Burns suggesting he shouldn't try to imitate him or former host Donovan Patton. "Just do you and be proud of that," Burns said.
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