Rove: ’My radio bosses are tightarses’

NOW that his time on breakfast radio is over, what next for Rove McManus? The comedian talks to Stellar about billboard budgets, the Logies and his worst ever gig.

His time on breakfast radio might be over, but the laughs keep on coming for much-loved comedian Rove McManus.

What’s next now you’ve finished with the 4am starts?

Quite a bit — my stand-up tour, my [evening] radio show with Sam, and finally getting my sleep patterns back.

Tell us about your first ever stand-up gig.

It was a shocker. Usually during a bad gig the audience won’t laugh. During this gig they were talking — they weren’t even paying attention!

Did you switch to radio because you needed a break from winning Logies? Is a 16-statue cabinet the biggest they make?

I’m very appreciative of whatever size my cabinet is, no matter how much of an innuendo that may sound like.

Would you ever change the name of your radio show to “John Henry Michael Rove McManus and Sam”?

I put it to the bosses, but they won’t pay to have our billboards extended. Tightarses.

According to Wikipedia, you used to be the chairman of the Flora & Fauna International. Does that mean you’re a secret bird watcher? Or did you type it into the page to flesh out the “hobbies and interests” section?

I’m proud to say that I am still associated with Fauna & Flora International, where I am an international vice president alongside fellow celebrity greenies Sir David Attenborough and Stephen Fry. It has given me incredible opportunities to travel the world and see first-hand some of the amazing conservation work FFI does with animals such as gorillas in Rwanda, elephants in Cambodia and tapirs in the Amazon. Having said all that, yes, I am a dirty bird perv.

A quick Q&A was a Rove television trademark. As the expert, do you think we could go pro?

Let me put it this way: I’d give you the twenty bucks

Rove’s That’s Me Talking tour runs until May 7; comedy.com.au.

Originally published as Rove: ’My radio bosses are tightarses’