Rove McManus

John Henry Michael "Rove" McManus (born 21 January 1974) is a triple award winning Gold Logie television personality, presenter, producer, comedian and media personality. He is the host of the comedy talk show Rove LA and was also the host of the self-titled variety show Rove while he is also the co-owner of the production company Roving Enterprises with partner Craig Campbell.

Early Life
McManus was born in Perth, Western Australia to John and Coralie McManus. McManus attended Orana Catholic Primary School before going through grades 8-12 at Corpus Christi College. He acquired the nickname "Rove" as a child, from his sister.

Live Comedy
McManus is a long established exponent of stand up comedy, touring nationally and also appearing internationally at major events such as the 2010 Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and as the host of the 2013 International Comedy Gala.

In 2005 and 2008, McManus undertook live stand-up comedy shows, touring Australian capital cities as well as Wellington and Auckland New Zealand. During the tour he returned to Melbourne each Tuesday to film Rove Live.

Television
McManus first recorded television appearance was as a child, when he appeared in the ABC television series, Kaboodle as 'Marty' in an episode called 'Marty Makes a Move'.

In 1997, McManus began hosting The Loft Live which was produced by RMIT University's Student television station RMITV, on the community television station Channel 31, where according to Rove he was given a budget of $50 per week. It was there where he met his now long time co-host Peter Hellinar. Rove then worked for Foxtel as a roving reporter on a show called In Fashion which was hosted by Hugh Jackman. He then took an offer from the Nine Network for ten late night episodes of his own variety show; Rove in 1999, but cancelled the series at the end of its run. In 2000, McManus was offered the opportunity to produce a new version of the Rove show for Network Ten. The resulting Rove Live was almost identical to Nine's Rove. Rove Live became a flagship show for Network Ten and it was also broadcast on TV3 in New Zealand. The show followed a variety show format and showcased weekly celebrity guests; comedy acts; variety segments; local and international comedians and live bands.

During the 2004 and 2007 federal elections, McManus unsuccessfully campaigned to have the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard appear on his program. While Howard did not appear, then-opposition leaders Mark Latham appeared on the show in 2005 and Kevin Russ in 2007. After being elected prime minister, Rudd appeared on the show again in 2008 and also on 28 June 2009.

When Bert Newton fell ill in early 2004, McManus was one of the many guest presenters who hosted Newton's Good Morning Australia program, McManus hosted the episodes on 24 April and 12 October 2004. The following year, McManus and Newton co-hosted a Roving Enterprises television special Ten Seriously 40, a look at the history of the Ten Network.

In 2004, McManus appeared in comedian John Safran's TV show John Safran vs God in a segment in which Safran convinced the controversial UK Muslim cleric Omar Bakri Muhammad to put a fatwa on McManus. The fatwa was taken off when Omar Bakri found out that the pictures showing McManus mocking Islam were falsified.

In November 2006, after his wife Belinda Emmett died after fighting breast cancer for eight years, McManus took indefinite leave and Rove Live did not screen its last two planned episodes of the year. At the time there were unfounded rumors circulating in the industry that he might quit television for good. He returned however, in the competitive Sunday 8.30 pm timeslot on 1 April 2007 with a major format overhaul, including renaming the show to simply Rove. Rove scored its highest ever audience of 1.69 million viewers. In September 2007, McManus made his debut as a game show host in the Australian version of the U.S. game show Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?.

On 2 May 2007, 25 July 2007 and 29 October 2008; McManus appeared as a guest on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and as a result has a regular spot on the show. In 2011, he hosted a segment called Rove Across America on The Tonight Show. Jay Leno and Ed McMahon also made a small pre-recorded appearance at the beginning of McManus' shows in Los Angeles giving him tips for the night's show.

On 23 December 2008, McManus made his debut as host on American television as the host of an ABC special The List.

In May 2011, Rove relocated to Los Angeles, California and landed a hosting role on a new talk show, Rove LA. The show debut on 19 September 2011 on FOX8 with catch-up airings on The Comedy Channnel. The show was subsequently picked up for a two-year run.

In 2013, McManus featured as a subject in the Australian version of the series Who Do You Think You Are?.

McManus has also appeared as a 'Round Table' guest on the E! Network late night talk show Chelsea Lately. He has also made intermittent appearances on TV3's satirical Pulp Sport series, usually performing menial tasks for the host "Bill and Ben".

In March 2014, it was announced that McManus will be the host of Riot, the U.S. version of the French entertainment Improv show Vendredi Tout est Permis avec Arthur where in the show, two teams compete on floor tilted at a 22.5 degree angle. it was shown on the FOX network and was excutive produced by Steve Carell.

On 1 May 2014, Rove appeared on the American comedy show @Midnight presented by Chris Hardwick on Comedy Central. He emerged as the winner being declared by Hardwick as having won the internet and being the funniest person in the world for the next 23 and a half hours.

In April 2015, GSN in the United States is set to debut a new show hosted by McManus called Lie Detectors where audience members decide which of the three comedians is telling the truth.

Radio
In 1999, McManus was a regular host on Triple J radio. He had a segment on the breakfast show (starring Will Anderson and Adam Spencer) on Friday mornings, Know Your Millennium, a quiz show that looked into the past. In 2000, he filled in on 2MMM's Andrew Denton Breakfast Show with co-host Amanda Keller and Mike Fitzpatrick. In 2002, the Austereo radio network commissioned Roving Enterprises to create a weekly radio program. Starring McManus alongside regular Rove colleagues Peter Helliar and Corinne Grant, the show was originally called Saturday Morning Rove. Broadcast from Fox FM every Saturday from 10 am to midday. It was pre-recorded thee day before to allow the performers to have a full weekend of other media commitments. In 2004, the program moved to Friday mornings allowing live phone callers, and was re-titled Rove Live Radio. It was discontinued at the end of 2004. McManus has been a guest co-host on the Triple M radio program Get This. In 2006, McManus and Hellinar filled in for Merrick and Rosso while they were on holiday. In the first of their three-week stint Meshel Laurie of Nova 106.9 co-hosted the show as well.

Movie Work
McManus had a cameo voicing a crab in Pixar's 2003 animated film, Finding Nemo. He appeared as himself on the New Zealand cartoon bro'Town and voices a number of characters in Cartoon Network's Exchange Student Zero.

McManus is currently working on the film Cookies From Outer Space with Yahoo Serious.

Roving Enterprises
In 2000, McManus started the production company, Roving Enterprises and co-owns it with business partner Craig Campbell. The company co-produced Rove Live and produced the AFL Football comedy panel program Before The Game during their runs on Network Ten. It also produces The Project. Past projects include the sketch comedy program skitHOUSE, the parody show Real Stories, Rove LA and between 2000 and 2004, host and producer of ARIA Music Awards.

Awards and Nominations
McManus is a triple TV Week Gold Logie winner for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television, winning in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

In all he has won 16 Logie Awards and been nominated for several others for his work on Rove and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader (Australian version). In 2000, McManus was nominated for 'Most Popular New Talent - Male'. In 2002, he was nominated for the Gold Logie Award. In 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 he was nominated for the Gold Logie in those years as well. In 2010, McManus was nominated for the Most Popular TV Presenter (the first time he 'lost' the award since its inception in 2005) and for the Gold Logie.

His Logie Awards are:


 * 2009 Silver Logie - Most Popular Presenter
 * 2009 Logie - Most Popular Light Entertainment/Comedy
 * 2008 Silver Logie - Most Popular Presenter
 * 2007 Silver Logie - Most Popular Presenter
 * 2007 Logie - Most Popular Light Entertainment/Comedy
 * 2006 Silver Logie - Most Popular TV Presenter
 * 2005 Gold Logie - Most Popular Personality on Australian TV
 * 2005 Silver Logie - Most Popular Presenter
 * 2005 Logie - Most Popular Light Entertainment/Comedy
 * 2004 Gold Logie - Most Popular Personality on Australian TV
 * 2004 Silver Logie - Most Popular Presenter
 * 2004 Logie - Most Popular Light Entertainment/Comedy
 * 2003 Gold Logie - Most Popular Personality on Australian TV
 * 2003 Silver Logie - Most Popular Presenter
 * 2003 Logie - Most Popular Light Entertainment/Comedy
 * 2002 Logie Award - Most Popular Light Entertainment/Comedy

Charity and Community Work
Between 2008 and 2010, McManus was a director of the Australian chapter on the conversation charity Fauna & Flora International, for a period serving as vice-president.

Personal Life
McManus married actress and singer Belinda Emmett in 2005 at the Mary Immaculate Church in Waverly, an eastern suburb of Sydney. Emmett died of mestastatic breast cancer on 11 November 2006 at St. Vincent's Hospital in Sydney.

McManus began dating actress Tasma Walton in October 2007. They married on 16 June 2009 in a private ceremony on a beach in Broome, Western Australia. They hava one daughter, Ruby Aurelia McManus, born on 16 December 2013.

He is a supporter of the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League, for which his first cousin Shaun McManus played 228 games. For three seasons staring from 2003, Rove McManus was the number one ticket holder of the club (a prestigious but largely symbolic position often given to prominent Australians).

On 8 June 2007 he appeared as the presenter of a secondary school discussion at Rod Laver Arena with Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama in attendance.

Shows Hosted
Riot (2014)

Lie Detectors (2015-present)

Show appeared
@Midnight (2014)

International Show Hosted
''Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (Australian version/2007-2009)

Links
Roving Enterprises website

Rove LA website