>>>Rove McManus Articles<<<

The new golden boy of TV Comedy, Rove McManus, is following in a mighty tradition of Australian TV Comedy.

He has been hailed as the new boy on the comedy block, but Rove McManus is following in some big footsteps with the pedigree of comedy talent Australian television has produced over the past 44 years.

From Graham Kennedy to Gina Riley, Paul Hogan to Magda Szubanski, and now such young guns as Rove, Peter Berner and James O'Louglin, the range of comic talents on Australian television has proven at least one thing- Australians love to have a good laugh.

With voting currently underway for this year's TV Week Logie Awards 2000, and the Comedy/Light entertainment category one of the most contested of all awards, Rove attempts to explain-in his own inimitable way-why Australian's love affair with TV Comedy is an enduring one.

TV Week: Why do you think TV Comedy is such an integral part of Australian television?

ROVE: We as a nation love to laugh. As much as we enjoy imported comedies from England and the US, we have such a unique style of humour that can't be found in shows from overseas, no matter how entertaining they are. Plus, there's only so many current affair programs you can watch without feeling like a good laugh.

TVW: What do you think makes Australians laugh?

ROVE: That's simple-seeing people getting whacked in the nuts on Australia's Funniest Home Video Show. Weather it be by a cricket bat-wielding child, inebriated senior citizen, or belligerent giraffe, that stuff never goes out of style.

TVW: What makes a comedienne funny?

ROVE: Their ability to not make the audience throw rotten fruit at them while yelling, "Get off or we'll kill you, you unfunny spawn of diseased entertainment!"

TVW: There have been some great legends of Australian TV comedy. Who are the people who have inspired you?

ROVE: I believe the D-Generation's The Late Show is still one of the best Australian TV comedy shows ever produced- and although not in my generation, Graham Kennedy in his prime was certainly a great comic talent.

TVW: What do you think of the new breed of Australian comediennes who have made such an impression over the past few years?

ROVE: I think it's a great testament to the talent of this country that television has given them such a tremendous platform to perform their impressions to the nation. I do an uncanny impression of the PM, John Howard, Judith Lucy's Arnold Schwarzenegger is absolutely spot-on, and Peter Berner's "Mr Burns from The Simpsons if he was a bus driver" is a perennial party hit.

TVW: Do you think this new generation of TV comediennes work in a different way to the performers who came before?

ROVE: Yes, because we can now perform in colour and that makes so much difference to the presentation of your material. I believe it was WC Fields who said "Give me colour or give me a cigar and a top hat instead." I live by that.

TVW: You have been called the "new face of Australian comedy". How do you respond to this description?

ROVE: It's certainly a huge honour but I don't know if it's justified. I guess it's better than being called "the new butt cheek of Australian TV comedy"

TVW: Is winning a TV WEEK Logie award an ambition?

ROVE: Oh God YES! Unfortunately, my hope is to win the Logie for the Best Bum, but sadly that category is yet to be created.

With heretic humour perfectly pitched at the forefront or Australia's emerging comic breed this quiet achiever is developing a very nice tan from the glow of growing fame. With a top secret television pilot in the can McManus might soon by comedy's answer to Annalise Braakenseik.

I slipped and fell into it. I used to act, but I enjoy comedy roles more because you get that instant feedback from the audience.

I get up and talk in an animated fashion. I am a relatively good salesman too. I could go out on stage and sell anything with enough lies and volume and charm.

There is a rumour that all comedians want to be rock stars. You give a comedian an opportunity to sing a song in a rock band and they'll leap at it, in a good way.

Oh, yeah, baby, yeah. Maybe it's because people feel they know you, as you've been giving a huge insight into your psyche.

Give Rove McManus his own show.

The only sacred cow I have found you cannot touch is Christopher Reeve. As soon as you mention Christopher Reeve it's "Oh no! Leave him alone" the irony is that at the Oscars when he gets a standing ovation, isn't that just the audience going 'look what we can do and you can't!"

Definitely no. If you just don't have it, no amount of perseverance, hard work and stage time will help you get any better.

In comedy you don't have the guy in the duck suit running around.

I did a show recently where no-one knew who I was, and the audience was dead, yet I got up and had a really good gig.

I guess we are the new brat pack. It's nice that we are a group of friends who enjoy working together. There is no rivalry.

What s long, brown and sticky? A stick.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF AND YOUR WORK IN 20 WORDS
I am 26, human and a keen professional wrestling fan (Yes I do smell what The Rock is cookin'). My "work" involves piss-farting around in front of complete strangers.

My ability to fart with my hands... oh sorry, you meant funny "ha-ha", I though you meant funny "weird"

I do comedy for the person I'm playing for at home.

HOW DO YOU PREFER YOUR AUDIENCES?

I just prefer audiences.

DOES IT HURT WHEN THEY DON'T LAUGH? WHERE?
Yes it does hurt when people don't laugh. Usually in the carpark afterwards when they choose to beat the "hour and a bit of their life" out of me, that I owe them back.

IS SEXUAL INNUENDO LOSING ITS APPEAL OR IS YOUR WORK BECOMING MORE CRASS TO GET LAUGHS?
There is certainly no need for innuendo in comedy any more. I believe we need to ROOT out the offenders by PENETRATING their hideouts and having LONG talks with them until they COME to their senses. Especially if they have big BOOBIES.

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Peter Helliar trying to do an impression of just about anybody.

It was paid for by Toyota for an ad campaign. But the part when it pulled a funny face and laid an egg after nearly getting run over was just him improvising on the day (it is actually a little known fact that poultry are huge fans of Theatre Sports).

PLEASE FINISH THIS SENTENCE: "ADELAIDE, CITY OF........"
"... two giant silver balls stacked inexplicably on top of each other for no real reason".

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE ADELAIDE AUDIENCES TO REMEMBER YOU?
As the sucessor to the throne of Anne Wills.

Reference: "ATTITUDE" Magazine Autumn 2000 No. 26

It took Rove McManus just 10 weeks to experience both the highs and lows of television. A little known comedian, he was taken on by Channel 9, treated like a staron the rise, promoted quickly, and even invited to Jamie and Jodie Packer's wedding.

Hesnared a beautiful woman, former Home and Away star Belinda Emmett, and garnered a following a avid viewers who nominated the star and his show, Rove, for Logie awards.

But come December last year, the 26 yr old was dumped by the network and told his show would not be renewed.

"It's pretty shocking to get sacked" Rove told the Sunday Telegraph.

"I was told: 'Come in, make plans for next year'. But within a week, the plans for next year were, 'There is no next year'. It was a reality check. I didn't expect to do a Hey Hey run of 35 years, but I did expect it to last more than 10 weeks- especially with the show being nominated for Most Popular Comedy at the Logies."

He went into a short period of 'mourning', but was hen courted by both Channels 7 and 10. He signed with Ten this month.

Rove is not bitter about his troubles television start- he's just excited to be joining Ten's growing lineup of Australian comedy shows.

He joked that he would grow concerned only if he was dumped by 10 too.

"Then there would be only one station to go to."

Later this year, Rove will present a late-night comedy show, similar to Jay Leno's The Tonight Show in America.

"It will be similar to what we did at Channel 9 last year: Tonight Show based, live, with a mix of guests and bands" he said.

In his relatively short television career, Rove has met many of the showbiz legends, including his idol, Bert Newton.

"He's the one who's still going- he's such an amazing performer." Rove said. "He can still reach such a wide market of people. He's still got an air of cool"

They are now together in life and now Rove McManus and Belinda Emmett both have their own TV gigs

Born-again television comedianRove McManus isn't giving too much away about his love life.

"Ahhh yes" he cautiously replies when asked about his relationship with actor and singer Belinda Emmett. Is that all he is going to say? "Yes" So we can't ask him whether marriage is on the cards? "Aaah no you can't. Sorry." He laughs.

Emmett, on the other hand, is happy to talk.

"We met at Fox Studios, about November last year [and have] been together ever since. He makes me laugh."

He also makes Channel 10 laugh. The network is premiring McManus's show <I> Rove (live) </I>

On Monday night, featuring interviews, stunts, sketches and music. Joining McManus, 26, in the "mad-cap caper" are Melbourne comics Peter Helliar, Corinne Grant and Dave Callan, who also partnered him on his short-lived Channel 9 gig last year. McManus says the show is like last years, albeit " a progression...basically the next step. More a concentration in the studio and more of a tonight show feel"

"I think there is a need for it, especially with Hey Hey it's Saturday finishing up last year as well." He says. "There's not an outlet for performers, bands, comedians, whatever, to come and have a chat as much as there was. It's left quite a hole, so hopefully it's one we can fill just a tiny bit"

While Rove was a relative unknown until Nne plucked him from community TV obscurity, Emmett 26, has been a public figure sonce 1994. (When she played Tracey in Hey Dad) *snigger*

McManus had his start in television at age 12 with the ABC children's series Kaboodle.

"Obviously at that young age I thought 'This is it, here I go, welcome to show business' and it took me another 13 years to get back in" he says

His stand up comedy career was spawned out of sheer boredom.

"One of the first jobs I ever had was working in this bottle shop," he says. " I had very little to do...so I had a couple of friends who used to visit me everyday just to keep me company. We just used to be a bit silly from time to time, then we started coming up with a few ideas for bits and pieces. We were beginning to think some of this could probably be used for something and that was how I ended up getting into stand-up"

McManus syas he has "no animosity" over his dumping by Nine.

"If anything, it has been a really good learning experience It let me know very early on you can never rest your laurels in this industry. It can all fnish up just like that. I was coming towards the end of last year thinking " All right, okay, start plans for next year" and all of a sudden there was no next year"

"Because of this it means I appreciate, especially now, being back, just getting the opportunity again. I had no reason to believe anyone else would be remotely interested in me"

Network Ten's hot new personality, rove McManus returns to television with not one but two prime roles.

He's one of the most exciting names on TV, but Rove McManus has been absent from the small screen lately. However, this week the Perth born comedian is doing double duty on the box. There is his new variety show, Rove live, and he is also the host of the music industry's night of nights, the 14^th Annual ARIA Music Awards- both on Network Ten.

"I've been asked to do a couple of different projects since I moved to Ten [from he Nine Network, where he hosted the late night variety show, Rove.]. " Rove says

"I'm really happy with that. It's nice to think they have faith in me"

His stint at Nine last year has given Rove a cult following, but he's hoping his new roles will attract even more viewers.

"Most people wouldn't have head about me last year" Rove admits "Since then they've seen or heard about me and thought 'Who is this guy with the weird name?"

"I think there is a little bit of anticipation to see what the show ands I are all about. Hopefully there will be more people watching, because we won't be on in the middle of the night like last time"

While the new show has adopted more of a "tonight show" feel, Rove believes his loyal fans won't be disappointed.

"There will still be the same stupidity" he says "stupidity's great. You can't go wrong with it...and it's still live. I wouldn't have it any other way. Some of the best TV is when something goes wrong, especially in a live show where there's no room for error. I'll be dropping clangers every now and then, just you wait!"

While Rove look forward to Rove live establishing itself, he's just as excited about hosting the ARIA awards.

"I'm extremely excited about them" he says "I've hosted the Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala, which is probably the closest thing I've had to this, but even that's small by comparison. There will be a much broader audience watching, and the ARIAs are well known.

It will be an absolute honour to host them. And as I've never been before, it will be doubly exciting. My very first time live at the ARIAs...and I'll be driving the bus!

 TV Week, 21-27th October

It was never going to be a huge fundraiser but Rove McManus and the team from Ten's Rove live- with a lot of help from Renata Muss, a (just finished) Bankstown schoolgirl- did their best with some unusual items.

A bottle of vodka and a glass signed by Jimmy Barnes went for $93.50 , while one viewer forked out $65 for a used toilet seat signed by the cast of Rove live. For $50, one bidder got a preserved piece of pizza eaten by Human Nature, with used Styrofoam cups, and an unwashed sweat towel thrown in for good measure. A book signed by Dave O'Neill, apparently a big name in Melbourne, exceeded bidding expectations, taking $25.

All up, close to $300 was raised for the Starlight foundation.

Daily Telegraph, 29/11/00

4th December 2000, Revolver

Bert Newton, Daryl Somers and Andrew Denton now have something in common that goes beyond the fact that each has at one time, been the funniest television personality ever to entertain Australian prime time audiences. It is this: they have all bantered with Rove McManus on his show Rove [live].

Of all the comics taken for a test run by Channel Nine last year, McManus was the one able to go the distance. He was also part of the team that took good News Week around for a final victory lap. Thus, it would appear that these people who were once the funniest television personalities are happily accepting Rove as their rightful heir and successor.

When Andrew Denton was on the show, you could practically see the torch change hands. It was as though the former were anointing the latter.

"Is that a fact?" rove asks when I put the theory to him.

"Was he 'anointing'? It happened when Rove asked Denton if he'd consider hosting the Logies ceremony again. Denton thought that twice was quite sufficient, but suggested that rove might well want a go instead. It was very much 'anointing'.

That rove is where he is and is only 26 may be impressive, but McManus himself acknowledges that he had an early start, even if he couldn't quite accept it at the time. Growing up in Western Australia, friends and relatives of the adolescent Rove would insist that he "should be a comedian". Robe however, was "definitely afraid" of even the thought of "Having to get up on stage and try to be funny in front of a group of strangers."

However he didn't mind acting.

"If someone else had written the lines and they weren't funny," he explains "You could always just go 'blame the playwright, don't blame me" By the time he'd left school, Rove himself was writing the lines with his mates.

When they had trouble getting other people to perform their material, they decided, "stuff it, we'll just do it ourselves!" and got themselves onto the local community radio station. Before long, Rove built up the confidence to be funny on stage in front of strangers as he began to work the "not very big" but "certainly healthy and thriving" Perth stand up scene.

"It was a great place to start because it was so small," Rove says. "You were doing a gig every three weeks, as opposed to every three months in Melbourne or Sydney."

Soon getting to a point where he felt he couldn't go any further", Rove decided to move to Melbourne. He likens his arrivals to the Melbourne scene to a fireworks display' that 'exploded very quickly'. As the new kid in town, McManus was usually lumped with the equally unfamiliar comics, but the difference between them, was that whereas the others had never performed before, Rove had two years experience and two years of material to his advantage. Therefore he was noticed from the start.

Despite this, however, it wasn't long before he found himself in the same boat as his peers. "I soon hit a brick wall; I was fighting for gigs at all the regular comedy clubs like every body else"

Rove recalls that period of his life and career as "enjoyable times" but admits he was certainly not living comfortably. "I soon saw how far a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter can actually stretch." He says.

The lesson this experience taught him: "Never get too complacent; you're never one hundred percent safe"- as he was reminded again last year, he says, when his season at Channel Nine came to an end. The point at which Rove was well and truly thrust into our comedic consciousness was when he was one of a bunch of "up and comers" profiled in a special comedy edition of Juice a little while back. Also present and accounted for were Merrick and Rosso, Peter Helliar and Adam Spencer, who we all knew from triple J, as well as the familiar Wil Anderson and the somewhat less so 9at that stage0 Corrine Grant. But this Rove McManus guy who was featured had many a Non-Melbournian scratching his noggin. Rove agrees at that stage of his ascendancy, he was "behind most of the others" Although he'd been on Good News Week, like Wil and Corrine, he was not quite "in the regular loop" yet

However successful annual appearances at the Melbourne Comedy festival had brought him to the forefront of that town's comedy scene and a hosting gig on community television station 31's The Loft Live kept him there. Live community television was the perfect proving ground for the prime time personality-to-be. When important guests were not turning up late (one time a guest was so late it ended up being a brief two minute interview at the end of the show) or failing to arrive altogether (on our very first show the guest had just forgotten to turn up) there was always the possibility of equipment malfunction to keep Rove on his toes: "Our audio box blew up. Noone at home could hear us so we had to go off air."

Such strong grounding in live television coupled with the stand up experience made McManus a natural for primetime commercial television. It showcases, not just his ability to host so well, to be able to work with such a good team and to make it look so easy, but also in the way he appeals to so wide a demographic. McManus himself likens the job to a bus driver, who is trusted by all of the passengers.

"The essence of it is that i'm having fun, and they can't help but have fun themselves because i don't look like I'm uncomfortable. I absolutely love it."

Rove reckons that, if two years ago, you'd asked him where he wanted to be in five or ten years time, his answer would literally be what he is actually doing now.

"So I've been very blessed in that I've been given a lot and achieved it in a relatively short amount of time" he says I reckon there's more to it than that. When shows like Hey hey it's Saturday and Good News week had to call it a day, they left a gaping hole that Rove himself claims he's only "paved over slightly" or "put a couple of leaves or sticks across." To make it look fixed.

Now's the time Rove McManus. If visitations of the three wise kings of Comedy is not enough and you need some sort of John the Baptist figure as well, then Graham Kennedy must be that man. When he finally returns from the wilderness to give McManus his blessing then we'll know for sure that Rove is the chosen one, sent to save our miserable television-watching lives from eternal damnation...

Switch on the TV and it's likely the cheeky face of Rove McManus will grin back at you. The 26-year-old comedian is omnipresent. In the past year alone, he has hosted the Aria awards, co-hosted the millennium eve telecast, taken part in many debates at comedy festivals and on TV, and had a talk show on Channel 10.

Now he's going back to where it all began-stand up comedy-with Rove live coming to the Metro Theatre.

Despite his meteoric rise to fame, McManus is very much aware of pitfalls in showbiz.

"I'm just appreciating what I've got at the moment" he says "I never guessed I'd be doing what I'm doing now. But I don't get swept up in it. If ital. come crashing down tomorrow, then okay, I have done 10 weeks last year and 10 weeks this year of hosting my own tonight show. That's 20 more weeks than some people do in their whole careers"

It's hard to imagine McManus as a shy kid. Growing up in Perth, he dreamed of becoming a cartoonist.

He admits he was "a bit of a clown", but it was only while studying for a fine arts degree that his natural talent for comedy emerged.

McManus and a few friends started writing for a university revue and then tried community radio, which flopped. "So I started doing stand up" he says "It was going so well that when I finished my course, I reassessed my options and decided to give comedy a try."

He left Perth for Melbourne in 1995 and says his persistence has paid off.

"It's just a matter of believing in yourself. If someone knocks you, you getup and have faith in your ability.

Sometimes its just not your time...it doesn't necessarily mean you're a bad performer."

Working on Ten's Rove live with comedians Dave Callan, Corinne Grant and Peter Helliar- who also appear in the stage show- has been a buzz. So far, he has had yarns with Sting, Sinead O'Connor and old hands Bert Newton and Daryl Somers.

His stage gig will be similar to the TV show with "a few sketches and silly behavior".

While he doesn't have a personal style-"I'll do fart jokes if they work"- McManus is conscious of current affairs.

"It's a bit of a buzz phase but essentially I base my humor in observational comedy. I was reading a newspaper and it was gold, gold, gold. A woman is leaving her money to a chimpanzee and some department of natural science has lost a swarm of locusts!"

Ask the icon: Rove McManus

Age: 26

Famous for: hosting Ten's Rove[live], standup comedian, hosting the Arias, loving Bert Newton.

Lives: Inner city Melbourne

Marital status: girlfriend is actor and television personality Belinda Emmett.

Favourite hangs: A cool café in Richmond called The Groove Train, a bar called The Jam Factory, Toys R Us.

I don't know. I'm trying to curb it. It has been getting a bit our of control. I don't know why I do it. I just like to collect everything from statues to figurines, remote control devices, things that talk, stuffed animals. Its very sad for a 26-year-old man to be obsessed with them. I had toys as a kid and as I grew up and moved out of home the obsession grew- you move into your own house and realise you can fill not only one room, but an entire house with them.

My talking Buzz Lightyear is certainly one of my favourites.

Nothing did originally. I used to act in high school and I got into performing that way, and I enjoy doing comedy more than dramatic roles because you get instant feedback from the audience. You know how things are going because when you tell a joke it either works straight away or it doesn't. I fell into stand up. People would just say 'wow you should do it'

Some do. I recently had a very strange comment from someone, who, after meeting me for the first time, said that iwas very polite. I must come across as very abrupt on television. Besides that, there is often a situation where if I'm up-beat people become critical and think you're trying, and it's a case of "save it for the camera, funny boy". Stand-up seems to be the only occupation in the world where you have to prove yourself.

No, I don't understand it. It's a just matter that people recognise me now, but I am no different. That is why I sometimes find it quite strange because people will come up and say "Hi Rove, good to see you", as if they know me and it turns out I've never met them.

I am into fitness. I try to run everyday, but there are days where I think sleeping is a little more important. I run everyday and I go to the gym twice a week.

I try to eat really healthily. I don't like a lot of fatty foods, no fish and chips, and I don't like Chinese. I like Thai food and seafood. I'd much prefer to make a pizza at home than get takeaway.

Cockroaches and rats. I can handle heights, hecklers, certainly most things, but I get creeped out by rats. I just find cockroaches disgusting. If it has made itself known to me, it must die.

Professional wrestling, relaxing when I get the chance and hippos. They are the number one killers in Africa. That's why they amaze me. I'm forever telling Belinda these amazing facts.

We met at the Fox studios opening and I was talking to a group of actors, one of which was Belinda. Then, in the six weeks it took to get on the Titanic ride, we shared a private joke that no one else got and I though "oh, hello". We swapped phone numbers, and I called first, but I was just trying to be a little coy. I didn't want to seem too eager.

Sunday Telegraph, Nov 26 2000

Television’s Rove McManus is ending a very busy year by returning to his roots as a stand-up comedian, writes Victoria Young.

Imagine comedian? TV host Rove McManus, paintbrush in hand, creating abstract works on canvas, or transforming clay and pieces of metal into sculpture.

It’s a mental picture which may be a bit difficult to visualise- but the26 year old is more of a Renaissance man than his TV presence may suggest.

The former fine arts student has a multi-faceted list of hobbies and interests- he collects toys, loves watching wrestling and nature and historical documentaries and playing computer games.

He still paints "whenever I can and I still draw quite a bit as well. I don’t sculpt as much because it’s very messy and there are only so many places you can put leftover sculptures before the garden is full of disfigured bits of clay and disfigured metal shards that are very poorly welded together."

And while his TV career has taken off with Rove [live}, McManus is currently preparing for a new comedy show minus the cameras, Rove {live} Live.

"Basically it’s just getting back to our roots," he said. "and performing some stand up on stage. It won’t be just the TV show on stage, there will be some sketch elements. It probably won’t be as slick as the show, although unlike the TV show we might actually rehearse this"

Sharing the stage at The Metro will be his Rove [live] comrades Dave Callan, Corinne Grant and Peter Helliar. The foursome met and became friends on the live comedy circuit in Perth and Melbourne.

McManus said they considered it important to keep up their stage skills.

"Live audiences are a lot more discerning than TV audiences. Sometimes the bright lights and shiny sets with the camera can get people excited and sometimes a lesser joke will slip through the net. But I often find that working directly with a live audience, they are probably the toughest critics you’ll ever find. If a joke stinks, they’ll tell you."

All the live performing must take it’s toll on McManus’s nerve and while he admits that it "certainly doesn’t get any easier", he said he channels any nervousness into "excited energy."

"It’s like an anticipation to get on stage and when I walk out it’s the best feeling in the world. It’s my favourite part of performing when you first walk out and feel the excitement and buzz you get from a live crowd"

In October he hosted the ARIA awards, "The most nerve-racking gig I’ve done in quite some time, going into it. The gig itself was fine, everyone was really nice to me, all the performers. I was a little concerned about how the music industry would take to me but they were actually very friendly"

He wouldn’t give away any backstage gossip- "only that, as was blatantly obvious on the night, the Fun Loving Criminals were very, very drunk and were doing a very bad job of trying to hide it."

But he is ready to talk about the time he "high-fived" the Pope during his 1986 visit to Australia when McManus was in Year 7.

"My school took us down to the airport to see him off and as he was going along he had his hand up so people could grasp is hand and give his blessing. As he got to me I was a couple of children deep so I reached over and slapped his hand in high five fashion, by laying a bit of skin on the Holy Father.

I don’t know if he’s got it on his resume that he high-fived me, but it was certainly a big moment in my life: up there with touching Ray Martin’s hair."

Comedy is one of those careers where quirkiness is somewhat expected and McManus does not disappoint. His toy collection is too vast to quantify- "I wouldn’t want to even begin to count. If they’re inanimate and you can play with them, I’ll buy them"

His stuffed toys, talking toys, action figures, statuettes and remote control devices are kept around his house or lie the walls on his Channel 10 office.

"When I left home, instead of filling just one room of a house, all of a sudden you have a whole house you can fill them with and that certainly makes the collection grow a lot quicker."

A big fan of cable television, he loves professional wrestling. "It’s a perfect way to switch off. You don’t have to think too much. It’s a male soap opera- like watching The Bold and the Beautiful or Melrose Place; whatever your poison is. Mine is the trials and tribulations of all the characters in the WWF."

And when there is time, there’s also the painting.

"I used to do a lot of anatomy. One of my fortes when I was studying was anatomy- life drawing and painting, which obviously I don’t do too much anymore. I’m not hanging round as many nude people as you do when you’re studying."

1974: Born in Perth

McManus’s father owns a hotel, his mother "is a mum". A keen young actor, he performs in school plays, theatre sports and attends after-school drama classes.

1987: Stars in the ABC TV children’s show Kaboodle.

1992: On leaving school, McManus works in a very quiet bottle shop. To keep him company, some of his friends regularly drop by. "We just used to be a bit silly from time to time, then we started coming up with a few ideas for bits and pieces." He said in a recent interview. "We were beginning to think some of this could probably be used for something and that was how I ended up getting into stand-up"

1993: McManus begins a Fine Arts degree at the University of Western Australia, majoring in painting. Co-writes and stars in the university revue Wrapped in Plastic.

1994: He works for three months on a Russian-built cruise ship, travelling around Asia with Australian passengers and crew. He lands in Melbourne, knowing almost no one. Armed with just a few phone numbers of comedy promoters he becomes a regular on the Melbourne comedy circuit.

1997: McManus is made host and producer on his first TV show, The Loft Live, on Melbourne’s Channel 31.

1998-2000: Good News Week.

1999: Host and producer of Nine Network’s Rove. The show is not renewed at the end of the year and Channel 10 snaps him up.

2000: Host of Ten’s Rove [live], Mondays at 9:30pm

2000: Hosts the ARIA awards.

Sun Herald, December 3 2000

A few years ago, Rove McManus was doing the dirty work in a pub. Now he's the bright young star of the stand-up circuit and his TV show, Rove live, is all set to enter its second season. Maree Curtis trades jokes with the grand poobah of comedy.

As head honcho of his own television production company, comedian Rove McManus could call himself anything he likes- MD, CEO, chairman, - but that would be way too boring and pretentious. Instead, his business card announces that he is Roving Enterprises, Grand Poobah. "That is the title I prefer to be called, but around here they just tend to use Poobah."

Here, is a large, semi-converted warehouse that serves as the offices for the company. With its op shop furniture, handful of twenty-something staff and a variety of toys that are both decoration and distraction, it's more like a very big version of the shared-house than a corporate headquarters.

Grand Poobah? That must go down well in the boardroom. "I'm really the director of the company, but I'd never have that on my business card."

For the uninitiated, the Grand Poobah was the head of the Water Buffalo Lodge in The Flintstones. It is just another example of the seemingly endless inspiration McManus gains from vintage popular culture. Part of the fun of his Rove live television show is picking up on the constant references (Star Wars is a particular favourite) to songs, films and television series, many made before he was born. It can also turn into an annoying distraction if you can't quite remember where the line comes from.

"I was only joking, "he insists, just in case I thought he was serious about the staff calling him Poobah. "They don't really call me that.

It's like the business card, he would hate you to think he was up himself. McManus is at pains to appear "normal", no different from anyone else. A bit more famous perhaps, but definitely not better. In fact, its part of the secret to his success, he seems to be just an ordinary bloke, who happens to have a gig on TV.

McManus is liberally blessed with the charm of his father's Irish heritage; he is entertaining, amusing, friendly and self-effacing without being falsely modest. He's a good bloke. And he's just a little bit shy. But he's not ordinary. At27, he's a television veteran. The second series of his live national tonight show is about to go to air on the Ten Network. His sayings ("Crisis over", "Oh my word, it shall be fun", "Say hi to your mum for me") are working their way into the vernacular of the young and the cool. When he was just 25, he was hosting a similar show on a rival network which, despite it's late night timeslot, enjoyed enviable ratings. The show was not picked up after the first series but several months after being cancelled, it was nominated for two Logies. In a profession where many would sell their first-born child, for the chance of a guest appearance on national television, it's an impressive record.

As a bloke who prides himself on being down-to-earth, he almost can't quite let himself believe it. "I've got scrapbooks, three now. On the first page is a listing for a comedy club and they go right up to covers of magazines. I think, 'You're doing ok kiddo'. If it all came crashing down, like last year (when his show wasn't renewed), I can still open up my scrapbooks. I've got proof to show my kids that I'm not lying when I say dad used to be on television."

He still rings his parents to tell them when he's on TV or when an article is coming out, and a noticeboard in the outer office is covered with newspaper and magazine clippings about the show and its star. On the wall of his office there are pictures of a grinning McManus with industry stalwarts such as Bert Newton (McManus is a genuine fan), H.G. Nelson, Steve Vizard, Daryl Somers and Kate Fischer. His obvious delight in his good fortune, tempered with just the right amount of "why me?" is endearing.

McManus's small frame, clad in jeans and a red Cat in the Hat T-shirt, is tucked into the corner of a battered green couch. He's hugging a Bugs Bunny cushion and I have Sylvester the Cat. He is "not very tall" (173 cm), and he's looking a little pale, but his hazel eyes twinkle as they do on television, lighting up his face with a look that suggests he's planning some wonderful mischief. He's cheeky. Oh, and he has nice teeth. "People always say that"

The most noticeable thing in the room is the toy collection. A variety of action figures are arranged on his desk, shelves hold an assortment of games (including a Sale of the Century game signed by Glenn Ridge) water pistols, robots and great big clowns feet. He points out that he doesn't really play with the toys. Really? Well not a lot anyway. Only sometimes, like today because I'm visiting. "I don't, like, role-play. That would be borderline neurotic. I might just spin a head around when I'm on the phone or something"

The largest photo on his desk is a stunning shot of Belinda Emmett. McManus has been going out with the blonde actor and television personality for a little over a year and they are Australia's hot celebrity couple. They are the darlings of the women's magazines because they are happy to be photographed together. Early on they decided it would be too difficult and too ridiculous to pretend they were not involved, but they have steadfastly refused to do a joint "relationship story".

As well as attempting to maintain some privacy, in the relationship's early days McManus was concerned lest anyone think he was using Emmett's then higher profile to advance his own celebrity. "I was still very new and she'd been in the television industry and an actor for seven years. I didn't want to be seen like I was pushing myself up. It's not a publicity stunt, it's real life. Every now and then something will happen and you'll read about it. It's something you think is private and now everyone knows about it."

The couple also have the tyranny of distance to contend with. Emmett's career is firmly Sydney-based while McManus has just bought his first home in Melbourne's inner city. "it's tough but we get by. It's a lot of to-ing and fro-ing. It's unavoidable at the moment, but the ultimate aim is to eventually live in the same city."

Along with the stardust sprinkled on him by Irish ancestors, McManus has a good dollop of the work ethic and pragmatism of his mother's Scottish heritage. He served his apprenticeship doing stand-up in comedy rooms in his native Perth and later in Melbourne and Sydney, and honed his television skills hosting a tonight show on Melbourne's community broadcaster Channel 31. He stood up to commercial television executives who argued that tonight shows didn't work in this country and, even if they did, he was too young to host one. He worked hard and is talented, but this doesn't necessarily guarantee success in the television industry. "I know that I am a very lucky person. I am an example of what can happen, not an example of what does happen."

McManus, two older sisters and a younger brother grew up in the Perth suburb of Willetton. His father was a hotel broker ("an estate agent that sells hotels"). Why his parents chose the name Rove, given that they christened his siblings Catherine, Julie and Luke, remains a mystery, but he has promised to ask his mum about it. It was an inspired tough of serendipity; a name like Rove McManus is destined to be up in lights.

The young Rove's journey to stardom started with an astute primary school teacher, who suggested theatre classes run by a man called Gerry Atkinson. "Gerry became a mentor. Over the years a lot of people have attributed themselves with putting me where I am today. But if anyone can claim that, it will be Gerry."

Though he discovered a "love of performing" after successfully auditioning for school plays in years 11 and 12, McManus decided he wanted to be a cartoonist. He took a year off after high school, worked in a hotel bottle shop by day and as a barman by night. "I had a lot of friends that leapt straight into Uni. but I always said to myself that I would take a year off. I worked in the pub as a glassie, cleaning up ashtrays, dirty glasses and other people's vomit. I loved it" Not. "I worked my way up"

During quiet times in the bottle shop, mates would drop by and they would start working on a few ideas with the thought of getting something onto the local community radio station. They sent a demo tape, the station played a few sketches and a young comedian was born. Still believing he needed a real job, McManus enrolled for a fine arts degree at the Claremont School of art, but the stage beckoned. "It was like working in the pub but this time I was student by day, comedian by night. I was living the Batman lifestyle."

Buoyed by their radio success, McManus and his friends took their material to Perth's biggest stand-up comedy room. "We dies a horrible horrible death. Stunk it up big time. It is the worst feeling in the world. We performed a sketch in a stand up room to an audience used to being performed to and interacted with. We effectively put up a wall and ignored them. The audience started talking, which is worse than silence. At least when they're silent, they're still paying attention. "

Shaken but not stirred, McManus and his mates wrote a comedy rap sketch and performed it at a university review. "I got my first really big laugh and I thought, this feels good. It became addictive after that." It took a while to build up courage to return to the scene of his big flop, but with only two real comedy rooms in town, McManus eventually had to face up to it. He was 19 and "did great"

When he finished his degree, McManus had to make a decision, Comedy or art. "Going into cartooning then would have meant starting over again on the bottom rung. The comedy was going well and I was getting better so I thought to myself that I'd give it a go." That meant leaving Perth. At21, McManus told his parents that he was shifting out of home, sold his car and flew to the East Coast. "I knew one person here and I crashed on their floor for a month or so. Then I found a shoebox of a flat and thus my illustrious TV and comedy career began in Melbourne."

As is the way of such things, a guy in Perth mentioned McManus's name to a guy in Melbourne and he started working the local comedy circuit. "I was swept off my feet. I'm on the bill with people like Tony Martin, Judith Lucy, Jimeoin, and I'm sitting there going, wow. These are people that I'd admired for years and that's my name on the running order. Granted I am at the very end." Not for long.

McManus's first TV gig was a guest spot on a very short-lived ABC series, Something Hot before Bed. "It was meant to be the next Big Gig, but it wasn't. It was good experience. And it was still something I could ring mum and dad and tell them to watch." But it was a gust appearance on a pilot for a tonight-style show called The Loft on Channel 31 that gave McManus his entree into the commercial networks.

The people at 31 who make such decisions loved the pilot, not the host, and offered the position to McManus. The Loft was a full on, host-behind-the-desk-two-chairs-for-guests show in the David Letterman, Jay Leno mould. "We actually got into trouble for being too slick and too professional." What was the attraction for the tonight show format for a cool, up-and-coming young comic in his early 20's? It is a genre dominated by middle aged Americans. In Australia, when we think tonight show, we think Graeme Kennedy, Bert Newton, Don Lane. McManus was-still is- a bit, well, young, wasn't he? "So I've been told." Over and over and over again apparently. "And they (the commercial networks) said they don't work in this country. But I said, why not? We had a show on community television and we had people writing into the TV guides saying they liked the show. That said to me that we were doing something right."

One thing led to another and McManus produced a pilot for the Nine Network in March 1999. For possibly the first serious time in his life, luck wasn't on his side. Nine signed comic Mick Molloy mid-year and it was his show that went to air. Although he denies it strenuously, it's hard to believe that McManus wasn't just a little bit pleased when Molloy's show crashed and burned; McManus may be a nice guy, but he is human, after all.

Proud of it's position as the home of variety television and, perhaps hoping to regain some credibility after the failure of the Molloy venture, nine put Rove to air. After a ten week run, ratings in the low to mid teens- excellent for an 11pm Wednesday timeslot-and lots of publicity hype about McManus being the new Daryl Somers, Graeme Kennedy, Bert Newton etc, Nine dropped the show. "I still have no idea what happened. If I could read the mind of TV executives I would never have to worry about my job again. When it all came crashing down, I went 'Okay, maybe that's all I was meant to do, maybe that was my big foray into television, maybe it was too much, too soon. ' It was a huge reality check and I came down with a little bit of a thud. I wasn't getting mobbed in the street or anything, but my profile had lifted and I was just starting to enjoy it and then it finished. But at least I had the chance, not many people even have that."

A few months later, McManus found a new home at Network Ten, an arrangement that is working very well for both parties. Over the past couple of years, Ten has successfully repositioned itself for the magical 18-35 demographic, an audience drawn to shows such as X Files, The Simpsons, Beverly Hills 90210 and The Panel. It is also the home of Bert (he has achieved such cult status that, to Australia's youth, no surname is necessary) Bert was McManus's first guest on the opening night of Rove[live]. It was a classic television moment, the master and his protege. "I want to be Bert" McManus says, only half joking. "He's a legend. He's very funny, very sharp. He's still irreverent and that's why he's still going. He's fresh, he's not jaded and he isn't bored. And he's very naughty: sometimes the things he says at ten in the morning- you can't say that sort of stuff"

There's no doubt that a few years experience on the tough stand-up comedy circuit is a boon for live television. McManus has the gift of being bale to ad-lib, a huge bonus when things go wrong, as they inevitable do, or when guests are not very forthcoming. "If I could go back and choose a different path, I wouldn't. I have benefited the most by going through those avenues. It's the perfect gig for a comedian. I get to write material every week, I get to be myself and be spontaneous with my humour and I get to meet people 12 times more famous than myself and chat to them" wow.

Speculation is mounting as to who will be handed the poisoned chalice that comes with hosting the Annual Logie awards.

Following Andrew Denton's success in the past two years, chances are the Nine Network will again look outside it's stable for a host for the April 22 telecast. A decision is expected early next month, and according to a Nine deep throat, the only certainty is the host "wont be [former 60 minutes reporter] Jeff McMullin"

Choosing the host is a collaborative process between Nine and TV WEEK although as broadcaster, Nine would have the casting vote.

So who will it be? After picking the brains of square eyed insiders. Confidential provides the form and chances of the usual suspects and a few dark horse.

Andrew Denton (8/1): Announcing he was leaving the Triple M breakfast slot, only to have a change of mind a few months later, is one reason why Denton's name is still being thrown around. He's the man for the job, but it would take some convincing to get him on board a third time.

Roy and HG (8/1): Like Denton, Slaven and Nelson have no network allegiance and would suit Nine's approach to out sourcing a host. But alter egos, John Doyle and Greig Pickhaver rarely make a dud move and this one does carry risk. Remember Greg Evans?

Paul McDermott (15/1) A bit too Ten and perhaps a bit too angry to host such a warm and fuzzy affair. And then there's the question of McDermott's singing. (rofl-FR)

Glenn Robbins (15/1): Funny enough to handle the gig, but the bad blood between Nine and The Panel could be his undoing.

Rove McManus (20/1): Industry types agree he's cut out for the job but needs to shake the trainer wheels before he can ride Denton's pushbike.

Bert Newton (25/1) Sadly a sentimental favourite without a chance. Still one of the funniest men on television.

Sydney Telegraph, 18/12/00

Name: Rove McManus

Job: Host of Channel 10's Rove live and stand up comedian.

I'm a big fan of Salt at Darlinghurst. It's a great place to have a very good dinner, with excellent service. I had a really weird thing there once, it was quail's egg- very tasty, though. Also, Eat Thai at Paddington is a great casual place and the Bayswater Brasserie is always good as well.

This is pretty disgusting but i once went to an all-you-can-eat KFC buffet with my sister. We went just to say we'd done it.

I went to the opening of a friend's uncle's restaurant in Perth. It was an Italian restaurant and i ordered lasagne and baked into the top of the cheese was a dead cockroach. As far as I know, it's still open.

It's hard to pick just one, but in general, picnic's are great. I love heading out with some friends and some picnic fare, some wine and sitting under the stars.

Yes, when I can.

Quick and easy stuff, and healthy if possible. Fish is great and i like making up marinades with leftover sauces from the pantry. I made burritos last night. I also make a killer cajun chicken salad, you might even say it's world famous- at least with my circle of friends.

It was at home in Perth, with my sister when we were young. We had been grilling something, she opened the grill and the tea towel, which was hanging over the stove, caught fire.

Being young, we thought if we waved it around the fire would go out but ,of course, i dropped it on the lino. The black mark is still there.

When i first moved out of home I baked a cake for the first time. I'd made one in home economics once before but it didn't rise. This was from a White Wings chocolate on chocolate. It was magnificent.

David Attenborough, because he'd have amazing stories about hippos, which are the number one killer in Africa., and you'd never be at a loss of conversation with him.; Jimmy Stewart, because he is my alltime favourite actor and maybe he could bring a little sala and his pet rabbit Harvey; wrestler and author Mick Foley; Daffy Duck because he might just end up as dinner; and Jesus, because he could feed all of us if I ruined the dinner.

Rove McManus spoke to Brooke Williamson.

Daily Telegraph 21/2/01 Food And Wine.

Roving eye in Paddo's pop secret.

Prepare yourselves. The well-oiled Popstars machine is about to rev up again. And this time producers are finding that the final group are even harder to keep under wraps, with seasoned campaigners onto their every move before episode three has even aired.

On Tuesday night television host Rove McManus pinpointed where the selected popstars were living in Paddington on his Channel 10 program, Rove live.

After dispatching a limousine to the residence, his team left a banner, which stated simply: "Rove welcomes the Popstars to Paddington."

Having given away the suburb and identity of the house in Paddington, a spokeswoman said yesterday the group have since moved residence to escape the public eye.

A most intriguing side bar to the whole affair is that Rove's girlfriend, Channel Seven's Belinda Emmett was living in the same street until last year.

But both parties assured Confidential this was purely a fluke. Emmett had moved out by the time the fledgling popstars moved in.

According to the neighbors, the soon-to-be-famous group have been picked up every morning in a green Tarago to go off to do their dancing lessons, studio recording sessions, receive fashion advice and do whatever popstars do.

***

Still with Rove live, Confidential understands the interview with box office brute Russell Crowe, and his performance with band 30 odd foot of Blah Blah was not exactly live. Well it was a week ago, when it was recorded.

Daily Telegraph 22/2/01

Green Guide, Melbourne