Voice of Kermit the Frog quits!

After 27-years! It's not easy being green!

Kermit The Frog might just sound a little different from now on, after Steve Whitmire – the puppeteer who has been the voice of Kermit for 27 years – quit the role.

Muppets Studio has indeed confirmed the news, after fans noticed the lack of Whitmire in recent Muppet broadcasts and other shows from the studio.

No reason has been given for his departure, although website Tough Pigs revealed that fellow Muppet performer Matt Vogel – who ironically played Kermit’s evil doppelganger Constantine in Muppets Most Wanted – will take over as everybody’s favourite frog.

Steve had been voicing Kermit since 1990, after being handpicked by Jim Henson’s family to take over the role after Jim Henson’s death.

He went on to voice the character through a string of Muppet movies and TV shows, including The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, as well as the more recent The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted.

And Kermit wasn’t the only character he voiced either – with Steve also lending his vocals to Rizzo The Rat, Beaker and Waldorf’s ever-critical partner Statler, among others.