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Jessica Rowe: “I’m still here!”

"I just feel like I can be me, warts and all because I’ve been down there and I’ve survived that," says Studio 10's Jessica Rowe.

2013-10-29_2321“I’m such a different person today than I was before I had my babies,” explains Jessica Rowe. “Being a mother has changed me. Having had post-natal depression has changed me enormously. And going through a career crisis changed me too.

“But I’m a much happier person. I’m a lot more comfortable in my own skin than I’ve ever been and that’s quite a free and empowering place to be…. to almost exhale a bit. I just feel like I can be me, warts and all because I’ve been down there and I’ve survived that.

“And people know about that, and I’m still here!”

Not only is Jessica Rowe still here, she’s back on TEN for the upcoming morning show Studio 10.

As she notes herself, Rowe has been through both personal and professional crises, which began when she was ‘boned’ at the Nine Network.

But she’s also been open about her challenges, speaking out on post-natal depression in well-documented interviews and advocacy. She comes to Studio 10 from a news presenting role on Weekend Sunrise, and she credits producer Adam Boland with giving her an opportunity when she most needed it.

“I have so much to thank Adam for. My career was in the doldrums, let’s face it. I was at sixes and sevens thinking ‘Oh my God, what’s happened to my life?’ so to speak,” she recalls.

“I was a freelancer and he would give me shifts and continued to do that. I’m forever grateful for that. He backed me and believed in me.

“I love being a mum, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. But I really struggled.”

Motherhood meant her career had to take a back seat, but she remembers feeling a loss of identity without regular work.

“Now that I’m a mum, what does that mean for this other part of me? I always thought my career was my sole identity, which it’s not, but when that disappears it’s very hard to work out who you are and what you want to do.

“Adam helped me reconcile that but also made me realise ‘I can still do this, I do have something to offer.’ So he gave me that confidence when a lot of other people weren’t interested.”

For Studio 10, in which she joins Ita Buttrose, Sarah Harris and Joe Hildebrand, the workload means 5am rises.

“I was anxious thinking ‘What’s it going to be like going back to fulltime work?’ but I’m loving it. It’s better than I could have imagined because I feel happier, and I didn’t realise how happy it would make me.

“I have to pinch myself and think ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe it. Here I am sitting next to Ita Buttrose!’

“I love the team. I’m a very enthusiastic person and I love to be surrounded by people who are equally enthusiastic.”

She’s also back at Network TEN which has undergone many changes since last she was a network face.

“There are still some familiar cameramen, studio crew, make-up artists and it’s great to see them. They’re the ones you forge a close relationship with over the years because you see them day in, day out and they know you so well.”

Ahead of their Monday launch, the Studio 10 team has been rehearsing fully-produced shows under producer Rob McKnight, in front of an invited audience.

“We’ve had three weeks of getting in the groove, so to speak. I’ve never had that opportunity before, to give everyone time to find their feet. I knew Sarah, Ita and Joe before but not really well. So now I feel like I really know them so that’s fabulous. We’ve become closer through the process and become more relaxed with each other,” she says.

“All of us sit around a desk for the show but there are interviews we do and that’s normally two (hosts).

“What I think is exciting about Studio 10 is the opportunity for serious chat. So yes there’s the news but there’s time for some more issue-based stuff as well as lifestyle and entertainment. So there’s a chance to get on my soapbox, so to speak, to talk about issues that I feel very strongly about. I love that I can sit there and just talk and talk….”

Morning television is dominated by talk, with The Morning Show currently the ratings leader and Mornings as added competition.

“I think the difference (we have) is a panel-based discussion with the four of us and we then have a fifth guest. That will be someone different each day and they are there with us for the bulk of the show.

“So the panel-based discussion is a bit different to the other shows.

“The four of us come from different experiences and have different life views. So that makes us very revealing with spirited and passionate conversation.”

Those dreaded-advertorials will be presented by Jono Coleman, who doubles as voice-over man and audience warm-up guy.

“They keep us on air, they pay the bills. We’ve all got to live!,” says Rowe.

But while Rowe is the first to admit she is enthusiastic by nature, she’s under no illusions about the ratings battle ahead. TEN did, after all, axe The Circle, which had a fervent, if limited, following.

“We’re realistic because it’s going to take time. It takes time to change people’s viewing habits and what they do with their remote controls,” she admits.

“But I feel confident. It’s a really fun, vibrant show.”

Studio 10 premieres 8:30am Monday on TEN.

9 Responses

  1. I wish Adam, Ita, Jessica and Sarah all the best with ten’s new morning ventures, heavens only know many of us viewers deserve much better than the B/S going on at sunrise, and Karl at nine, but few will ever forget how ten tortured us with Paul Henry, and the new morning format has the ball in the their court.
    All that said I reserve special wishes for Joe Hilderbrand and only hope that studio 10 soon becomes studio 9, as viewers treat him with the same respect that he treated former PM Ms Julia Gillard, who showed more strength of character during her time as PM and especially when she retired from politics, with ” none” than Joe Hilderbrand with his two ( yet unproven and may depend on how loud he squeals, if the boot hits the usual two spots ), as it isn’t strength of character to repeatedly claim that leopards can not their spots, whilst now claiming he can change his, and…

  2. I really hope Ten have a winners with Studio 10 and Wake Up. They have a very big ship to turn around and hopefully these shows begin the process. Jess should never have left Ten – glad to see her back.

  3. I think Jessica is fantastic she has this great bubbly personality that shines through the television. I am glad she has got this new gig now to enable her to shine even more- good luck Jessica!

  4. Joe Hildebrand is the deal breaker for me. Wont watch. I would rather watch the US Today on Mate than sit through the same advertorials every few mins.

  5. @emurray – “could have used the extra eyeballs watching the Sydney fires as a bit of a springboard” – Given the extensive live reporting by ABC, 7 & 9 I don’t know that many would have switched to TEN to get what ABC24 was doing excellently. Maybe quite the opposite.

  6. For as long as morning shows have advertorials I will not watch it. Do people honesty sit through the same advertorial for life insurance 5 days a week?!

  7. Interesting piece David. Jessica Rowe seems to have been very open and forthcoming when you spoke with her.
    I think there is a typo or perhaps there are a few words missing about four paras from the bottom? (it reads… “axe ‘The Circle, which….”)

  8. I’ve always liked Jessica Rowe, and she has been treated pretty shabbily in the past. I was surprised at her going back to 10 after the way they treated her all those years ago, taking her to court and everything. I hope it all works out for her.

  9. Looking at the foxtel epg for Monday onwards it has ten news coded 530 to 6 and 6 to 30, early wake up 0630-700 then wake up 0700-0830, studio 10 830-1030 and studio 10 you to 11 then an hour news.
    I really hope this all works for ten. Think they would have been better launching a few weeks ago and could have used the extra eyeballs watching the Sydney fires as a bit of a springboard

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