Comedians joke about killing Rove’s show by making him change iconic catchphrase

Rove’s doomed show went out on a cheeky joke that most of Australia missed. It might be the last gag he ever delivers on live TV.

Two comedians have joked about helping to kill off Rove McManus’s doomed live show by daring him to make a cheeky update to his famous catchphrase.

Sydney comedians Cameron James and Becky Lucas appeared on the second episode of Saturday Night Rove on Saturday. Unbeknown to them, the show would be brutally axed two days later.

On air, the pair convinced the beloved comic to ditch his iconic sign-off “Say hi to your mum for me” and replace it with a new, more awkward, “Kiss your dad on the lips for me”.

Appearing at their own comedy show, Major Cringe, at the Factory Theatre in Sydney last night, James and Lucas joked with the crowd about how they’d talked McManus into saying the awkward phrase on what turned out to be the show’s final broadcast.

“It might be the final thing he says on live TV, ever,” James joked.

Saturday Night Rove was axed by Channel 10 after just two episodes due to low ratings. McManus said it was “clear” the show was not achieving the desired viewer numbers, and the decision to end the run early was made both him and the network.

Lucas and James joked with McManus and changing his catchphrase. Picture: TenPlay

But during the airing of what would be the final broadcast, James and Lucas joked with McManus about making some changes to his beloved traditional sign-off.

“We reckon you must be really sick of your catchphrase ‘Say hi to your mum for me’,” Lucas told McManus in the segment.

“I’ve been asked this for the last twenty-something years,” McManus said.

James suggested the host widen the scope of the catchphrase to include other family members.

“What about, ‘avoid your uncle at Christmas for me’,” Lucas joked.

The three continued joking about other inappropriate catchphrases for McManus, before landing on “Kiss your dad on the lips for me”.

“It’s nice. It’s sensual, it’s modern,” Lucas joked.

“I think more boys should be kissing their boys on the lips!” James joked.

“Well, maybe I’ll give it a go later on tonight,” McManus said.

At the end of the hour-long program, the presenter kept to his word and signed off the show with the updated catchphrase.

Rove signed off his final show with the catchphrase 'Kiss your dad on the lips for me'.

During their performance last night, Lucas and James said they were sad the show had been cancelled, and referred to McManus as one of the most popular comedians in Australia.

A spokesperson for Channel 10 earlier told TV Tonight that Rove was a “sensational entertainer”.

“Unfortunately Saturday Night Rove hasn’t resonated with viewers the way we had hoped, so Rove and 10 have made the decision to remove it from the schedule,” the spokesperson said.

“It was clear looking at the numbers that the audience we hoped would find a freewheeling live show on a Saturday night just weren’t there,” McManus himself said after the axing.

“We spoke with 10 today and we both called it.”

News.com.au reached out to James and Lucas but the pair declined to comment.