Rove McManus

Rove McManus
Rove McManus
Born	John Henry Michael Rove McManus; January 21, 1974 (age 52); Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Occupation(s)	Comedian, television and radio host, producer, media figure
Years active	1997–present
Known for	Host of Rove, Rove LA, Whovians; co-owner of Roving Enterprises

John Henry Michael Rove McManus (born 21 January 1974) is a prominent Australian comedian, television and radio host, producer, and media figure, honored with three Gold Logie awards. He gained recognition as the host of the variety program Rove and the comedy talk show Rove LA, and is a co-owner of the production company Roving Enterprises alongside Craig Campbell. Between 2017 and 2020, McManus also served as the presenter of Whovians on the ABC.

Early life

McManus was born in Perth, Western Australia to parents John and Coralie McManus. His education included Orana Catholic Primary School followed by Corpus Christi College. The moniker 'Rove' was given to him by his sister during his early years.

Live comedy

He has showcased his stand-up comedy talents both across Australia and internationally, notably performing at the 2010 Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and hosting the 2013 International Comedy Gala. In 2005 and 2008, McManus toured major cities in Australia as well as Wellington and Auckland in New Zealand, while returning weekly to Melbourne to record Rove Live.

Television

McManus’s television appearances span numerous shows such as Good Morning Australia, John Safran vs God, Pulp Sport, The Living Room, The Project, Studio 10, Celebrity Name Game, Have You Been Paying Attention New Zealand?, and Hughesy, We Have a Problem.

His initial TV role was as a child actor on ABC's Kaboodle. In 1997, he provided voice work for the animated series Li'l Elvis and the Truckstoppers and began hosting The Loft Live on community broadcaster Channel 31, where he met co-host Peter Helliar. Additionally, he contributed as a reporter on Foxtel’s fashion program In Fashion, hosted by Hugh Jackman.

In 1999, McManus fronted ten late-night episodes of his variety show titled Rove on Nine Network; however, it was discontinued after this brief run. The following year, Network Ten revived the program as Rove Live, a variety series combining celebrity interviews, comedic segments, and live musical performances, which also aired in New Zealand via TV3.

During the federal elections of 2004 and 2007, McManus attempted to feature then-Prime Minister John Howard on his show; however, only opposition leaders Mark Latham and Kevin Rudd accepted invitations. Rudd made subsequent appearances as prime minister in 2008 and 2009.

In 2004, McManus temporarily filled in for Bert Newton on Good Morning Australia during Newton’s illness and co-hosted a special commemorating Ten Network’s history. That year he appeared on John Safran vs God in a controversial segment involving a fatwa issued against him that was later rescinded.

McManus co-hosted the tsunami relief telethon Reach Out in 2005 across Seven, Nine, and Ten networks, which raised over $20 million for Asian disaster aid. This led to him co-hosting the Logie Awards alongside Eddie McGuire and Andrew O'Keefe.

Following the passing of his wife Belinda Emmett in 2006, McManus took a hiatus from television. Upon his return in April 2007, he relaunched his show as simply Rove, achieving record ratings with an audience of 1.69 million viewers. Later that year he debuted as host of Australia’s version of the game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?.

McManus appeared multiple times on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, eventually becoming a regular contributor with his segment 'Rove Across America' in 2011. He also hosted an American ABC special called The List in December 2008.

On 15 November 2009, McManus announced that he would end his television program Rove, citing personal reasons for stepping back from hosting duties.

In May 2011, he relocated to Los Angeles to helm the talk show Rove LA broadcast on FOX8 and The Comedy Channel; this series ran for two seasons.

In 2013, McManus featured on the Australian genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? and appeared as a guest panelist on E!'s late-night talk show Chelsea Lately. He also made occasional appearances on New Zealand’s satirical program Pulp Sport.

In 2014, he hosted the American improvisational show Riot on FOX, executive produced by Steve Carell. That same year he won an episode of Comedy Central’s game show @midnight.

In April 2015, McManus took on hosting duties for Game Show Network’s series Lie Detectors, where audiences determined whether comedians were telling the truth.

From 2017 through 2020, he presented ABC’s panel quiz show Whovians, which was linked to broadcasts of the science fiction series Doctor Who.

Returning to Network Ten in 2018, McManus hosted the panel quiz program Show Me the Movie! and lent his voice to characters in the children’s animated series Kitty Is Not a Cat. He also developed a new series titled Bring Back...Saturday Night, which premiered under the name Saturday Night Rove in August 2019 but was canceled after just two episodes due to ratings falling below network expectations.

In 2024, McManus guest-starred on the animated children’s show Bluey, providing the voice for real estate agent Bucky Dunstan.

Radio

In 1999, McManus frequently appeared on Triple J's breakfast program alongside Wil Anderson and Adam Spencer, hosting a history-themed quiz segment titled Know Your Millennium.

The following year, he served as a guest host on Triple M Sydney's Andrew Denton Breakfast Show, sharing duties with Amanda Keller and Mike Fitzpatrick.

By 2002, Austereo commissioned Roving Enterprises to create a weekly series featuring McManus with collaborators Peter Helliar and Corinne Grant. Initially named Saturday Morning Rove, it was broadcast on Fox FM every Saturday from 10 am to noon, pre-recorded to fit McManus’s other commitments. In 2004, the show transitioned to a live Friday morning slot under the title Rove Live Radio, incorporating audience calls, but it concluded within the same year.

In 2006, McManus and Helliar temporarily filled in for Merrick & Rosso during their three-week vacation, with Meshel Laurie joining as co-host for the initial week.

In October 2015, Southern Cross Austereo revealed that McManus would team up with Sam Frost to present the breakfast show on 2Day FM, launching Rove and Sam as the successor to The Dan & Maz Show. McManus committed to a three-year contract commencing in 2016, which included equity-based compensation valued at $350,000 biannually.

Movie work

McManus lent his voice to a crab character in Pixar’s 2003 animation Finding Nemo, appeared as himself on New Zealand’s animated series bro'Town, and voiced several roles in Cartoon Network’s Exchange Student Zero. Additionally, he provided voice work for the film Norm of the North.

In 2014, he collaborated with filmmaker Yahoo Serious on the movie Cookies From Outer Space.

Roving Enterprises

In 2000, McManus partnered with Craig Campbell to establish the production company Roving Enterprises. This company co-produced Rove Live and was responsible for producing the AFL comedy panel show Before The Game during their tenure on Network Ten. Presently, it produces The Project. Previous productions include the sketch comedy series skitHOUSE, the parody show Real Stories, Rove LA, and from 2000 until 2004, they managed hosting and production duties for the ARIA Music Awards.

Awards and nominations

McManus has earned three Gold Logie awards recognizing him as the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television (in 2003, 2004, and 2005) and has accumulated a total of sixteen Logie Awards for his contributions to Rove and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?. Between 2000 and 2010, he garnered numerous nominations across categories such as Most Popular New Talent, Most Popular Presenter, and Gold Logie.

Association	Year	Award	Result
Logie Awards	2000	Most Popular New Talent	Template:Nominated
	2002	Most Popular Light Entertainment/Comedy (for Rove Live)	Template:Won
	2002	Gold Logie	Template:Nominated
	2003	Most Popular Light Entertainment/Comedy (for Rove Live)	Template:Won
		Most Popular Presenter	Template:Won
		Gold Logie	Template:Won
	2004	Most Popular Light Entertainment Program	Template:Won
		Most Popular Presenter	Template:Won
		Gold Logie	Template:Won
	2005	Most Popular Light Entertainment/Comedy	Template:Won
		Most Popular Presenter	Template:Won
		Gold Logie	Template:Won
	2006	Most Popular Presenter	Template:Won
	2006	Gold Logie	Template:Nominated
	2007	Most Popular Light Entertainment/Comedy	Template:Won
		Most Popular Presenter	Template:Won
		Gold Logie	Template:Nominated
	2008	Most Popular Presenter	Template:Won
	2008	Gold Logie	Template:Nominated
	2009	Most Popular Light Entertainment/Comedy	Template:Won
		Most Popular Presenter	Template:Won
		Gold Logie	Template:Nominated
	2010	Most Popular Presenter	Template:Nominated
	2010	Gold Logie	Template:Nominated

Charitable and community involvement

From 2008 until 2010, McManus held the positions of director and vice-president for the Australian branch of the conservation organization Fauna & Flora International.

Personal background

In 2005, McManus wed actress and singer Belinda Emmett. Tragically, Emmett succumbed to metastatic breast cancer in 2006. Subsequently, he began a relationship with actress Tasma Walton in 2007; the couple married in a private ceremony in Broome, Western Australia, in 2009 and welcomed a daughter in 2013.

McManus is an avid supporter of the Fremantle Football Club competing in the Australian Football League, where his cousin Shaun McManus played 228 matches. Between 2003 and 2005, he served as the club's honorary number-one ticket holder. Beyond football, he has been a dedicated professional wrestling enthusiast throughout his life, conducting interviews with leading wrestlers on his talk show and managing talent for the former World Wrestling All-Stars promotion.

On 8 June 2007, McManus facilitated a student forum at Rod Laver Arena featuring the presence of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.

External links