iCarly cast reveal how Jennette McCurdy's absence will be addressed in the reboot

4 June 2021, 11:55

iCarly revival trailer teases the return of fan fave characters

By Katie Louise Smith

Jennette McCurdy will not be appearing as Sam Puckett in the iCarly reboot – but her character will not be ignored in the new series.

The iCarly reboot is almost upon us! We've seen the trailer, we've met the new characters and we've even welcomed Nevel Papperman back into the mix. Now all that's left to do is wait until that iconic 'Leave It All To Me' theme tune hits on June 17th.

While we'll be seeing some familiar faces pop up for guest appearances on the show, there's a few characters from the original series that will no be making an appearance. One of them is, of course, Jennette McCurdy's Sam Puckett.

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Jennette would not be returning for the reboot. Speaking on her own podcast, she revealed that she had stepped away from acting, and that she felt embarrassed and "ashamed" about her early roles in Nickelodeon's iCarly and Sam & Cat.

While we won't be seeing Sam in the reboot, Miranda Cosgrove has confirmed that Sam will still very much exist in the reboot, and will be mentioned throughout the show.

Why is Sam not in the iCarly reboot?

Miranda Cosgrove reveals how Sam Puckett will be included in iCarly reboot. Picture: Rich Fury/KCA2021/Getty Images for Nickelodeon, Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Speaking in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Miranda Cosgrove confirmed that Sam Puckett's whereabouts would be addressed within the storylines for the show.

"Definitely, we touch a lot on the whole relationship with Sam and where Sam's at in the pilot episode," Cosgrove revealed. "And then we mention her a little bit throughout the season, so we'll definitely explain that on the show."

In another interview with ET Online, Jerry Trainor (who plays Spencer Shay), also said: "The pilot touches on [Sam's absence]. It will be addressed, but it's not something that we go too deep into just because we just want to respect Jennette's wishes."

He added: "You know, she's decided to move on from acting and she's doing great in her own world and we're super proud of her. And she's part of this family forever."

Miranda Cosgrove and Jerry Trainor give tour around new iCarly apartment

Back in March, Jennette McCurdy opened up about her decision to quit acing on her podcast, Empty Inside. Jennette also expressed how she felt embarrassed and "ashamed" about her previous roles in Nickelodeon's iCarly and Sam & Cat.

“I'm so ashamed of the parts I've done in the past. I resent my career in a lot of ways," she explained. "I feel so unfulfilled by the roles that I played and felt like it was the most cheesy, embarrassing. I did the shows that I was on from like 13 to 21, and by 15, I was already embarrassed.”