Jesse Metcalfe Says He Was Fired From 'Desperate Housewives' After 1 Season

Jesse Metcalfe says he was fired from "Desperate Housewives" after just one season ... and for one very specific reason.

The "John Tucker Must Die" star was on the "Not Skinny But Not Fat" podcast when he recalled his unceremonious exit from 'DH' back in the day.

Jesse played a gardener, and he says execs told him he wouldn't be a series regular after the debut season because it was a show about housewives ... not the help.

No hard feelings from Jesse, it seems ... he still made intermittent returns over subsequent seasons, and he went straight from the ABC show to his starring role in 'John Tucker.'