Kermit my true calling, says fired puppeteer

THE man fired after being the voice of Kermit the Frog for 27 years has said he is “devastated to have failed” Muppets founder Jim Henson.

Puppeteer Steve Whitmire had been with the Muppets since 1978, and took over as Kermit when Henson died in 1990. In a blog post he said he was let go against his will, and would never have left voluntarily.

“For me the Muppets are not just a job, or a career, or even a passion. They are a calling, an urgent, undeniable, impossible-to-resist way of life,” Mr Whitmire wrote on his blog. “This is my life’s work since I was 19 years old. I feel that I am at the top of my game, and I want all of you who love the Muppets to know that I would never consider abandoning Kermit. I just want you all to know that I am sorry if I have disappointed any of you at any point throughout our journey, and to let everyone know that I am devastated to have failed in my duty to my hero.” Mr Whitmire said he was informed that Kermit would be recast last October, and had kept silent in ensuing months in the hope that he could get his bosses to change their minds.

Neither Whitmire, Muppet Studio or its parent company Disney would reveal the reasons for his departure. Long-time Muppets performer Matt Vogel is reported to be taking over the role of Kermit.