Background

• FACT: Birth date is 21st of January, 1974 (Perth, W.A)

• FACT: Born as John McManus
- "My sister called me that when I was younger and it's what everyone has called me for as long as I can remember. It was just a nickname I was given as a kid and it stuck" more >>

• FACT: McManus is approx. 173 cm

• FACT: Rove grew up in Willetton, Perth

• FACT: Rove attended Orana Catholic Primary and Corpus Christi College in W.A

• FACT: Origin of Rove's Family: Irish (father's side) and Scottish (mother's side)

Past

• FACT: As a child, Rove broke a shop front window with his head when he fell off a mechanical coin-operated horse

• FACT: McManus started drama classes when he was nine years old (grade 3) when a teacher suggested he attend after school drama classes

• FACT: Attended theatric classes taught by Gerry Atkinson (also mentioned in the 2003 Gold Logie speech)
- "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."
- "I got into acting, I guess — or performing, I'd prefer to call it, I suppose — with… I had a teacher when I was in primary school, in Grade 3, who actually said to my parents that he noticed that I had quite a creative mind and he was worried that if I didn't have an outlet for it, with drama classes or something like that, that, uh, I would rebel. I don't know how you rebel at Grade 3, but that was his theory, that I'd maybe switch off and just think school's too boring and so just wouldn't participate."

• FACT: Rove was on a 1991 college production of 'Oklahoma' >> [ images available ]

• FACT: Studied fine arts (Claremont School of art)– majoring in painting
- "When I got out of school I tried to get into an animation course, but all the positions were filled so I had to take my second choice, which was fine arts"

• FACT: At the age of 21, McManus packed up his gear, sold his car and told his parents he was moving to Melbourne to become a comedian
- "I’m sure they were thinking, ‘Our sons gone mental’"

Television

• FACT: McManus had his start on television at the tender age of 12 with the ABC children’s series 'Kaboodle'. (Marty Makes a Move). Interesting note, Rove starred alongside Alan Fletcher who portrays Karl Kennedy in the Australian soapie ‘Neighbours’
- "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"

• FACT: Began his TV career producing and hosting a community television program titled ‘The Loft’ on Channel 31
- "They didn't like the pilot and they didn't like the host. So they said, "We'd like you to host it, because we want a younger feel. Are you interested?" And I thought, "Well, sure." And at this stage I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I was in limbo a bit. I was sort of headed in a stand-up comedy career but that wasn't really my dream. It didn't quite seem to be where I should be headed. And I started to host this chat show, and I thought, "Well, this is great — I get to write new material every week, I get to perform scripted stuff which you know is going to work, you actually get to show your improvisational skills, by…you have plenty of moments to adlib, and at the same time you get to chat to people more famous than yourself."

• FACT: Rove has appeared on television advertising a few products including one for milk - >> [ view captions ] [edit link]
- "My first big break came selling Physical Milk in an ad that saw me and another guy checking out some girl with a good-looking spine in a café, before my mate spilt his milk into his lap (the slogan being the milk was "good for bones" )"

• FACT: Rove then appeared on a series of 'Solo' television ads
- "Solo - no contest. I did do an ad campaign for them after all"
- "I played a roving reporter who searched the country tracking down ordinary Aussies doing extraordinary things, like riding a huge wave on a paddle bike, playing polo on a rodeo bull and jumping into a junkyard of Rottweilers dressed in a suit of meat. After each nutcase did their stunt I told them they deserved a Solo"

• FACT: McManus moved to Melbourne from Perth, landed a spot hosting a show on community TV station Channel 31 and was picked up by the Nine Network to develop and host his own late-night comedy show titled ‘Rove’

• FACT: The show ‘Rove’ shown on late nights at 11pm on the Nine Network (1999) only lasted 10 weeks before Nine executives gave it the plug, even though ratings showed it was going strong for the 16-39 demographic age group
- "Within a week, we had a meeting where they were saying, 'OK let's talk about next year', to the next meeting where they were saying, 'Actually, we've decided there is no next year.'"

• FACT: He hosted 'The Gap', a segment for Network Ten during the 2 week period of the Olympic games in Sydney.
The Gap was one of the new initiatives Ten had introduced, it alerted viewers to major Olympic events but encourages them to return when the event finishes, using competitions and prizes such as entertainment units and trips to New Zealand as incentives

• FACT: Rove had a short cameo appearance as himself in a Network Ten drama series 'The Secret Life of Us'

• FACT: Rove is previously worked as an executive producer on 'Before the Game' & 'SkitHouse'

Previous employment

• FACT: At the age of 18, for a week worked as a door-to-door salesman
- "My first job I ever had was as a door-to-door salesman where I sold "discount vouchers" to the local restaurant. But as I quit that job after only a week"

• FACT: Worked at a bottle shop in Manning Hotel or Sail & Anchor Pub Brewery in Fremantle between high school and college for about a year
- "I worked in the pub as a glassie, cleaning up ashtrays, dirty glasses and other people's vomit. It was a great job, I loved it"

• FACT: Before he had his own show he was employed by the ABC as a cartoonist on a children's show called 'Lil Elvis and The Truckstoppers'

Trivia

• FACT: Has High 5-ed the Pope
- "… I high-fived the Pope. In Year 7 at Orana Primary School my class was taken to see the Pope off from Perth airport following his papal tour. And while his hand was up for other members of the crowd to receive a blessing, I laid a bit of skin on the Holy Father."

• FACT: Rove always wanted to be a zookeeper
- "When I first started school I wanted to be a zookeeper… then I was older, I wanted to be a cartoonist. I was also intrigued with the idea of doing voices and was a big fan of Mel Blanc and the Warner Brothers characters."

• FACT: Rove is a huge pro-wrestling fan, he once entered the wrestling ring & was "unexpectedly" hit in the head with a guitar by (wrestler) Jeff Jarrett - This performance can be viewed on the WWA Inception DVD

• FACT: Rove is featured on DVD titles such as 'Ali' & 'Swordfish' interviewing stars of the movies

• FACT: Favourite animal include the Hippo, likes to also remind people that it’s the #1 killer in Africa

• FACT: Rove has appeared on Disney/Pixer film 'Finding Nemo' as an additional voice
- "[the movie] features yours truly as a small, green crab, that eats sewage..." "I play a very obnoxious little crab towards the end"

- "It was one of the best recording sessions we'd ever had. I wish we'd heard of him (Rove McManus) earlier, we would have given him a bigger role" - Finding Nemo creator Andrew Stanton

• FACT: As a child, Rove once won a television
- "They pulled out my entry and I won a television. I recognised my drawing and they read my name out, flashing on the screen, and I came running out to Mum and Dad in the bedroom and I think I was crying"

• FACT: Apparently the green room at the back of the Rove Live studios are painted blue

• FACT: The Rove Live studio is located on the same premises as ‘Neighbours’

• FACT: Rove's porn star name is' Tinkerbell Kallengeddy' (first pet's name & first street address)

• FACT: According to Victoria's birth registry - since 1929 to 1999, no child was called 'Rove' but since 2000 at least 3 boys have been given the name by their parents

• FACT: Rove is married to actress/singer Belinda Emmett, star of TV series such as Home & Away & All Saints
- "On our first date when I turned up and my pants were pulled so incredibly high, I was tucked in and she didn't knock me back and I thought, "Well, she's a keeper…"

• FACT: Rove's favourite movie is 'It's a Wonderful Life'

• FACT: Rove knows how to play on the trombone
- "I actually picked up a trombone at a charity event recently and I managed to play a B-flat scale so I still have it in there somewhere"

• FACT: Rove's favourite subject at school was art
- "I always enjoyed Art class. From my days in primary school, right through to high school, it was always the one I felt I was most adept at"

• FACT: Rove is currently living with wife Belinda Emmett in a reported double story place in the suburb of Richmond Hill, rumoured to have cost them $2 million

• FACT: In May, 2004 - Their previous Adam St terrace townhouse (located in Melbourne’s inner city suburb of Richmond) was sold for $607,500 at auction (the estimated price range was to have been between $580,000 and $640,000)

• FACT: Rove's favourite book is 'The Power of One' by Bruce Courtneay

• FACT: Rove McManus appeared on an episode of 'Huey's TV Dinner' called "How to Woo Your Lover with Rove McManus", which aired on Sunday nights in 2001

• FACT: His production company 'Roving Enterprises' sponsors zoo animals including a 'Killer wombat" at Perth Zoo & a Hippo named ‘Primrose’ that unknowingly killed its own baby by sitting on it at Victoria’s Open Range Zoo, Warribee.

• FACT: Rove McManus & the Rove Live crew are members of Richmond Union Bowling Club.

• FACT: 'Travel World' once considered using Rove to front a $2.8 million-plus television and print advertising campaign.

• FACT: In May of 2005, a survey was conducted by the Reader's Digest surveying 1,502 Australians to find out which people, professions and brands they trusted the most. Rove McManus was ranked 32nd

• FACT: Rove's favourite board games include Pictionary or Scattergories

• FACT: Has stated that "Love and family" as being the most important things in life

• FACT: Favourite foods include Pretzels and stone fruit

• FACT: One of the best presents Rove ever received include a battered teddy bear he discovered squashed on the road when he was the age of 6. Rove's mother secretly reconstructed the bear and gave it to Rove
- "It was so squashed that it was just a piece of material, it was really beyond repair. It has no ears, there was enough material for his face and two arms but it had no chest so she made him a waistcoat... I still have it. It's one of the most beautiful gifts I ever got"
-"My essential travel item is my bear, Epstein. He's a small stuffed toy I take with me wherever I go, so I can take photos of him in front of the famous and cheesy landmarks around the world. He has quite a collection of holiday snaps… I just realised how sad this sounds"

• FACT: The list of celebrity impersonations Rove can do include John Howard, Arnold, Steve Irwin, The Queen...

• FACT: Rove once sliced his thumb at Scout's camp

• FACT: Rove's first car was a Mazda 323 called 'Nelson'

• FACT: List of events Rove has hosted/co-hosted include The Millennium New Year celebrations, Big Brother Pantomime which raised money for the Star Light Foundation, Microsoft XP launch in Homebush, The 2002 Australian DVD Awards, The Aria Awards (2000, 2002, 2003)

• FACT: Rove's favourite alcoholic drink is vodka

• FACT: Rove is right handed

• FACT: Favourite TV programs are WWE RAW & Smackdown on the cable networks

• FACT: Rove's earliest childhood memory
-"Visiting my grandparents in the country for Christmas and wanting to buy the TV Week at the train station as Humphrey Bear was on the cover"

• FACT: In August, 2004 - McManus had a fatwa placed on him by the 'Senior Judge' of the UK Shariah Court following evidence created by John Safran for his series 'John Sarfan -vs- God'. The fatwa was later retracted after they were informed that the evidence was falsified for the show. (This episode can be viewed uncut on 'John Safran Vs God' 2 Disc DVD)
- "He deserves capital punishment... this is my message to Rove, he will only have one punishment - that's called the big fatwa"
- Mosque leader after being told Rove had sprayed painted the Mosque with 'Rove Live Tuesday at 9:30 pm' and selling 'Say Hi to Mohammad for me!' t-shirts

• FACT: McManus is slightly colour-blind

• FACT: Rove likes to wear to bed
- "T-shirt and pyjama bottoms in winter, zilch in summer"

• FACT: Apparently has been bitten by a dog in the arse during a door-to-door raffle ticket sale in primary

• FACT: Rove has swam with Sharks

• FACT: Rove on his first kiss
- "It was in my first year of high school and our drama class had been taken to see a local production of Roger and Hammerstein's 'Oklahoma' starring Joan "Matron Sloan" Sidney. During the interval, a girl I was fairly sweet on took me into a nearby alleyway and introduced me to Tongue Town. Naturally I gave the show a five-star revue"

• FACT: Rove Live sponsors the 2003 Victorian Master Singles Championship

• FACT: Name can be found in 'Who's Who of Australia 2003'

• FACT: Rove has a collection of Prez dispensers

• FACT: Rove on childhood pets
- "I had a Mexican walking fish (named 'Speedy' because they're slow & he's Mexican)... I only just brought him & I went away on a school camp for the weekend... came back & they [family] hadn't feed him.

When you sit in the bath & if you're there for too long - your fingers get all wrinkly, imagine that over a weekend. Speedy was a little too soft & squishy, so we had to say good bye & flush him down the toilet"

• FACT: Probably could name every Word Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE) champion from 1965

• FACT: In December 2002 & 2004, Rove McManus was included in WHO Weekly magazine's list of 'Intriguing People'

• FACT: Rove Live is filmed in front of a live studio audience at Global Studios at Nunawading in Melbourne

• FACT: An ex-girlfriend of Rove once dumped him on Valentine's Day

• FACT: Rove also has a collection of Beanie Bears (sent in by fans most likely)

• FACT: Rove’s must do Karaoke song include 'Footlose'

• FACT: Rove's cousin includes Fremantle player Shaun McManus
- "He's my cousin. Our dads are brothers...but we don't look anything like each other, him with his curly hair an' all..."

• FACT: Rove is the 3rd child out of 4 children

• FACT: Established himself on the comedy circuit from Melbourne

• FACT: Rove's father was a hotel broker

• FACT: Rove’s favourite toy included an original Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story movie, which unfortunately was nabbed by a thief during a burglary in 2001

• FACT: Books read include Mick Foley’s autobiography (WWE’s Mankind...masked guy with the sock) 'Nice to meet you'
- "His autobiography - I'm the only person who's interested in this but I'll bore you with it - went to number one on the New York Times bestseller list, so there you go"

• FACT: Met wife Belinda Emmett at the opening of Fox Studios in Sydney, November 1999
- "I was talking to a group of actors, one of whom 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 thought 'Oh, hello'"

• FACT: In primary had a mullet hair cut

• FACT: Rove admires Bert Newton
- "For his longevity alone I'm flattered to be compared to him. He's sharp, he's edgy and I think he's great"

• FACT: Has a scar on the right shin as a result of a broken beer bottle in a garbage incident

• FACT: Apparently has a scar on the right butt cheek

• FACT: Enjoys wearing bed socks in winter
- "I can't sleep with cold feet or toes and have no idea why. I usually rub them together quickly or put some socks on to warm them up or truly it prevents me from falling asleep"

• FACT: Rove has tried camel meat

• FACT: As a dare, Rove once consumed regurgitated food

• FACT: Owns a ‘Sesame Street Fever’ record album

• FACT: Enjoys watching animal documentaries
- "Did you know the hippo is the No.1 killer in Africa, or that male seahorses give birth?"
- "As much as the rumours would say otherwise. Um, I, uh… Yes, one person got that. I, um…I've always been fascinated by animals. I'm a bit of a nature nut. For some reason, birds, I just seem to enjoy more than anything else. I don't really know why. I had three galahs and some twenty-eights, which are like a smaller parrot, not such a cockatoo"

• FACT: Did stand up gigs on cruise ship ‘Karellya’

• FACT: List of dislikes includes rats, cockroaches, small toy dogs, watching people lick a wooden paddle pop stick, tow bars, the taste of cinnamon, drivers who steal a parking spot...

• FACT: In 2002 Rove was announced as #1 Most successful Australian Entertainer according to Who Weekly magazine's power list
- "Rove has Network Ten by the balls. He took his show [Rove Live], which was losing its timeslot, to winning its timeslot going up against golden girl Lisa McCune in Marshall Law and beating her" Who Weekly's Darren Lovell said
- "He produced and hosted one of most successful Arias ever, he's all over radio, he has a sketch comedy show and he's got a beautiful girlfriend too."

• FACT: Rove appeared as himself in a brief cameo on aussie flick 'The Wannabes'

Awards

• FACT: Rove's first TV Week Logie nomination was in 2000 for 'Best New Talent'

• FACT: Rove has been nominated for the Gold Logie (Most Popular TV Personality on Australian Television) in 2002 & won in 2003, 2004 & 2005

• FACT: Rove [Live] has been nominated for a TV Week Logie award in 2002-2005, it won in the ‘Most Popular Light Entertainment Program’ category in all successive years
- "I was very happy that the first award I’ve ever won was for the show and not just for me... it’s a nice validation for the amount of works we do. It proves it’s all paid off."

• FACT: Rove has been nominated for a 'MO Award'

Present

• FACT: McManus is Fremantles’ Number 1 ticketholder for 2003 (AFL) >> [ images available ]
- "So today we make an appointment of a McManus as the Number 1 Ticketholder of the Fremantle Football Club, not because he is quickly becoming one of the most influential people on Australian TV, and great supporter of the Fremantle Football Club, but to practice the art of survival as a Victorian working and living in Fremantle"

• FACT: Rove's role in his company 'Roving Enterprises' include:
- "I basically oversee everything. I'm the most hands-on with Rove [Live], naturally, because it is the core of the company. With Skithouse I am probably second in the amount of input I have in it, which means I only really sit in on script read-throughs and say what I like and don't like, and sit in on some editing sessions, but I don't actually go out on location or write anything myself for that show. With After The Game I really only watch it when it's on air and give my notes on it. After The Game looks after itself really well, so yeah it's really just overseeing everything and making sure I'm happy with everything we're doing" (2003)

• FACT: In March 2004, Rove was named by the Australian Republican Movement as one of the 50 Australian republican ambassadors which "believe strongly enough in the idea of an Australian Head of State" - he represented Victoria >> [ article & link page 46 ]
- "I am pretty sure that we are big enough to stand on our own two feet. I have also been assured by the ARM that impersonations of the Queen will still be funny after we transfer to a republic so I can't really see what is holding us back"

• FACT: In April 2004, Rove was listed in 9th position with an estimated $7.5 million income according to the Business Review Weekly's annual survey of the top Australian celebrities >> [ article ] [edit link]
- "There's a big difference between what is generated in or out and what's in your bank account. It would be nice if it were true."

• FACT: In July, 2004 - Rove and Belinda Emmett announced their engagement to the media. According to reports, Rove proposed on Wednesday (07/07/04). The pair have been an item since 1999
- "We can confirm that there will definitely be a wedding day but it won't be before we get back from summer holidays next year"
- "Thank you very much to all of you who have sent congratulatory messages to Belinda and myself regarding the announcement of our engagement" - Rove McManus

• FACT: In October, 2004 - One of two Roving Enterprises' production company studios caught fire and burnt down in Abbotsford, Victoria. News of the fire was broadcast on national channels. No one was seriously hurt but the costume department, video editing equipments and video archive were lost in the fire. Mice have apparently been blamed as the cause of the blaze – the fire also disrupted preparations for the ARIA Awards the following week

• FACT: In late 2004, 'Prime Minister John Howard, Please Call Rove' campaign was launched - A national campaign urging Prime Minister John Howard to appear on Rove Live before federal elections. Members of the public & media were encouraged to approach Howard and pass on the message. After failed attempts to find Howard at Parliament House & his Sydney residential address, Howard was eventually ambushed by Rove during a media round with pleads to come on the show for an interview. >> [ images ] [edit link]