Rove

McManus has been a return guest several times since his appearance on her show during her Aussie visit last year.

Also appearing on his episode is Chicken Charlie, Chris Hardwick and Heather McDonald.

It airs at 10:30pm Friday night on E!

But here’s what happened when I caught up with Elmo, during his recent Australian visit.

David: Hi Elmo, thanks for talking to me.

Elmo: Filming? (Taps microphone)

David: No, it’s just doing audio at the moment.

Elmo: Oh that’s no problem.

David: Now you’ve been to Australia many times?

Elmo: Yeah! Elmo’s mommy and daddy have been here too. We came here for eleven years. Every two years in eleven years.

David: And what is it that you like about coming here?

Elmo: Elmo loves everything about it except the Vegemite.

David: You don’t like Vegemite?

Elmo: No!

David: Actually I don’t like it either. I think it’s that Yeast extract.

Elmo: Whatever it is, Elmo doesn’t want it.

David: What would you do with it if you were given some?

Elmo: Umm… Elmo wouldn’t eat it. Sorry.

David: Do you have anything like it in America?

Elmo: Elmo used to not like… what do they call them, Brussel Sprouts? But now Elmo’s mommy makes them a certain way and they taste good now. Maybe we can figure out a different way to make Vegemite that would taste good.

David: I don’t think so.

Elmo: Elmo doesn’t either, that’s why Elmo is laughing as he’s trying to say that (laughs).

David: Now should David be asking Elmo questions in the third person as well?

Elmo: No, no, no! That’s the way Elmo talks.

David: So just you?

Elmo: Yeah.

David: And why is that?

Elmo: Well, Elmo just grew up that way. Elmo was born that way, so Elmo doesn’t know any different.

David: Ok. And nobody has a problem with it?

Elmo: No, hopefully not (laughs). Elmo’s mommy and daddy don’t.

David: Do you find that it opens doors for you that otherwise might not open?

Elmo: No!

David: Gets you out of sticky situations?

Elmo: No!

David: So you just roll with the punches?

Elmo: It’s just a natural thing, like Elmo’s red fur. And that’s just the way Elmo is!

David: Let’s talk Sesame Street. 40 years?

Elmo: Elmo loves living there, but Elmo hasn’t lived there for 40 years, but it’s been there for 40 years.

David: How long for you?

Elmo: 3 and a half. Elmo’s mommy and daddy moved there 3 and a half years ago. Just before Elmo was born.

David: It seems like a lot longer, you’ve obviously had a big impact.

Elmo: Yeah it happens that way. Big Bird is 6 and he’s been there since the beginning. That’s just a monster thing.

David: A monster thing…

Elmo: Yeah. Like a dog thing.

David: What do you mean like a dog thing?

Elmo: Y’know dog years is different from human years.

David: Of course. David gets it now.

Elmo: Yes (laughs)!

David: Are you sometimes guilty of hogging the limelight a little bit from the others?

Elmo: No! Elmo’s not guilty about anything.

David: No?

Elmo: No! We just love each other and it’s so exciting when we go to meet other people all around the world.

David: You’ve met many celebrities.

Elmo: And Grover has too. Hugh Jackman was really cool. And Davidbeckham. Elmo likes saying that “Davidbeckham.”

David: I think David Beckham’s voice is probably higher than yours.

Elmo: Really? Elmo thinks that his son’s voices are much higher. Elmo got to meet all of them, they were really cool. Elmo got to meet his mommy too.

David: I bet Elmo enjoyed that.

Elmo: Oh she was wonderful!

David: What did she have to say? Anything of substance?

Elmo: She was so excited to see Elmo, and wanted to make sure Elmo got to play with her kids.

David: And not play with anything else?

Elmo: No!

David: Elmo what do you do when you’re not doing Sesame Street? How do you relax?

Elmo: But Elmo lives on Sesame Street! Elmo has playdates and stuff like that, or sometimes Elmo will read a book or sing songs with Dorothy. Stuff like that.

David: Ok.

Elmo: Elmo hopes he’s not boring you….?

David: No! I’m struggling to keep up to be honest. But I’m sure you’re used to that. Now you’ve got this thing with Rove, what’s the deal with that?

Elmo: Oh he’s so cool! Elmo has so much fun with Mr. Rove. Elmo’s been enjoying having playdates with Mr. Rove for a long time. In fact when Elmo goes back to California where he lives, Elmo’s going to have a playdate with Mr. Rove.

David: A playdate?

Elmo: Yeah. That’s what we call it in the States. Where you spend time with each other.

David: You hang out?

Elmo: Yeah.

David: So are you missing the fact that you’re here and he’s not?

Elmo: Yes! Elmo is! The first time we came here with Elmo’s mommy and daddy, Mr. Rove was on vacation. They call it ‘holiday.’ But now he’s not here.

David: Is he one of your favourite Australians? Rove, Hugh, Nicole…

Elmo: Miss Nicole? Who’s that?

David: You’ve never met Nicole Kidman?

Elmo: No, not yet. Elmo hopes so one of these days.

David: I’d like to ask about some of the Australian shows you’ve done.

Elmo: Oh we have such a good time. The Today show, that was fun. Elmo got to do the weather too (laughs). Elmo hopes he said it right so that everybody would understand what to wear.

David: And you’re doing The 7PM Project?

Elmo: That’s tonight. Right here at “The Como!” Elmo likes to drop things like that (laughs).

David: Any other Australian shows you’ve done or doing?

(Pause)

Elmo: (to minders): ……Help? Little help?

Minder: Mornings with Kerri-Anne.

Elmo: Oh yeah, Elmo visited her the last time he was here. She has really good shoes. She kinda reminds Elmo of Sarah Jessica Parker. Because she loves her shoes. And Miss Sarah Jessica Parker loves her shoes too.

David: What’s coming up for you, Elmo?

Elmo: (thinks) What’s coming up for Elmo…..Elmo’s going to go and visit Seaworld. So that should be fun.

David: With the dolphins… you won’t swim with them? What happens when you get wet?

Elmo: You just dry off like anybody else (shakes)!

David: You just shake like a dog.

Elmo: Shake with a blow dryer.

David: Hey did you see that puppet show, Avenue Q?

Elmo: What’s puppets?

David: Oh puppets are really interesting.

Elmo: Really?

David: Avenue Q was great.

Elmo: No that’s too old for Elmo. But Elmo wants to go and see Mary Poppins. Elmo loves Miss Julie Andrews.

David: It was written by an Australian, did you know that?

Elmo: Mary Poppins?

David: Mary Poppins the character was written by a woman from Queensland.

Elmo: What was her name? Elmo wants to know about that, that’s cool.

David: Travers…. P. L. Travers. But then I think the British hijacked her. Or Disney.

Elmo: They didn’t ask?

David: Do you like Disney?

Elmo: Elmo loves Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck!

David: They’re not kind of like, competition?

Elmo: To who?

David: Your friends?

Elmo: No! Elmo likes watching their movies and stuff like that.

David: Good for you.

Elmo: Yeah!

David: Well, thankyou very much for talking to me. May you have another 40 years of Sesame Street, I know you’ve only had 3 and a bit. But you’ve certainly made a very big impact on the show and in this country. We hope to see you back here many more times.

Elmo: Thankyou! Elmo would love to!

The show wins the timeslot to be vacated by the exit of veteran soap As the World Turns -which means it is also the show to be greenlit over the rejected Say It Now pilot featuring Rove McManus and Valerie Bertinelli. Theirs was one of several projects on the cards along with a Pyramid reboot hosted by Andy Richter and a cooking game show.

The as-yet-unnamed one-hour series will also be co-hosted by Holly Robinson Peete, Leah Remini and Marissa Jaret Winokur.

The show was developed by the openly gay Gilbert, who also serves as co-executive producer.

Barbara Bloom, SVP, Daytime, CBS Entertainment said, “We were looking for a new format that would speak to the core audience but also have the topical and entertainment value to go even broader. This panel is not a bashful bunch; they are outspoken on any issue you put on the table. It promises to be an hour of television with timely discussions, unfiltered opinions and a lot of personality.”

So how much of a shot did Rove have? Julie Chen is married to CBS chief Les Moonves, after all…

Source: Deadline Hollywood.

On last night’s 7PM Project, the team asked why our politicians are more interested in going on TV entertainment shows than News programmes.

With Tony Abbott appearing on Hey Hey and Julia Gillard having appeared on Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? it was a fair question.

But some might just as quickly toss The 7PM Project into the same basket. After all, it isn’t exactly Lateline, is it?

Footage reminded us that Rudd had appeared on Rove (that’s three Roving shows for pollies by now), Joe Hockey waved a tiara on Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation, (another TEN show) and Peter Costello had famously joined Kerri-Anne in the Macarena dance.

Today The Age tackles the same subject in an article asking why our current affairs shows are so nervous about having politicians. TT‘s Craig McPherson says viewers switch-off when pollies come on.

But 7PM Executive Producer Craig Campbell said, ”We get some of our best bits and fun out of politicians; they are one of our best bits of fodder.”

The show has open invitations to all senior politicians and has no fear of a ratings dip if the political parties take them up. Like ACA and TT, The 7pm Project analyses the minute-by-minute ratings of each program to see where viewers tune in and out.

While the former say their audience disappears if a politician comes on, Campbell says the same does not occur on 7pm.

Last night Charlie Pickering also noted that Julia Gillard hadn’t appeared on the show since becoming PM, but had made several appearances before landing the top job. Well, she is just a little bit busier now.

Source: The Age

Say It Now: Talk show co-hosted by fan fave Valerie Bertinelli and Australian media personality Rove McManus didn’t get past the pilot stage. Next!

Say It Now was one of several pilots competing for the space to be vacated by As the World Turns.

The news follows McManus dismissing reports this week that he was set to fill in for Craig Ferguson.

Source: NY Post

“I read on the intergoogle that Craig Ferguson, the Scottish Conan thing, is gonna be replaced by an Australian apparently. And whoop-de-do here I am,” he said.

The Daily Telegraph reports McManus has inked a deal with David Letterman’s production company World Wide Pants.

The move is apparently a “test” to see how he is received by US audiences.

But management responded with “Not that I’m aware,” to the claims.

McManus is currently busy with Say It Now, which also features American actress Valerie Bertinelli.

Update: Rove on Twitter: No truth to “reports” @rove1974 and @craigyferg are swapping seats. Besides, that’s how you get pregnant.

I”m not taking a six week vacation. There is no guest host. . Cocaine is not addictive. #sometimestheinternetcontainsuntruths.

Source: Daily Telegraph

Originally known as Like a Virgin, the six half-hour episodes follows a woman who faces an unenviable situation where men she has had sexual relationships with mysteriously begin dying off, one by one.

The cast features Alison Bell (I ROCK, pictured), Celia Pacquola (Spicks & Specks, Rove, The Librarians), Toby Truslove (Thank God You’re Here, Sleuth 101) and Abe Forsythe (Marking Time, Always Greener). The guest stars are impressive: Graeme Blundell, Tracy Mann, Judi Farr, Deborah Kennedy and Shaun Micallef.

The series is produced by Liz Watts (Animal Kingdom) for Porchlight Films and directed by Trent O’Donnell, (Review with Myles Barlow).

Marieke Hardy says “After a happy few years spent ham-fistedly critiquing the creative efforts of others, I could think of no better way to ruin my life than to lay my own work on the line for public scrutiny.”

ABC Head of Comedy, Debbie Lee says, “LAID is an unlikely, but very funny love story. Marieke and Kirsty have created some truly great characters and it is real testament that Liz and Trent are working on the series, not to mention the amazing cast.”

Liz Watts says, “Series television is a whole new world after Animal Kingdom – but luckily, we have brilliantly funny scripts, a hugely talented director and a shining cast and crew as we head down the road of a black comedy – something that we at Porchlight Films are delighted to be doing with ABC TV”.

The series will screen on ABC TV in 2011 despite Like a Virgin being promised for 2010.

Rove

Variety reports that Say It Now is in development with CBS as a  replacement for As the World Turns which is due to end  in September.

As tipped by TV Tonight, a pilot was recently shot.

Variety says of McManus “the host has been looking at doing projects in the U.S. for some time, having previously worked with Steve Carell’s company on a potential show. McManus is a huge star in his native Australia, where he’s hosted a talkshow on the TEN Network.”

But the show has to compete with at least three other formats also vying to become the replacement for As the World Turns.

Source: Variety

The Daily Telegraph reports the axe is hovering over the show due to the low ratings for the reality series this year, while host Natalie Bassingthwaighte is due to give birth in August and out of contract.

TEN is yet to make a decision on the show, but denied there was any friction with FremantleMedia Australia after Seven signed its former show The X Factor. FremantleMedia already produces other shows for TEN including MasterChef Australia and Neighbours. Next year The Biggest Loser will be produced by Shine Australia.

“A decision on Dance hasn’t been made but I would expect something to be announced before October,” a TEN spokesperson told news.com.au.

However, in practical terms, a decision will need to be addressed before then.

For the show to be on air in February it needs to ramp up the machine a lot earlier than October. Last year TEN announced auditions in August. The Top 20 had already been chosen by November.

TEN has rarely been afraid of venturing into the unknown, shocking many with the end of Big Brother, Idol and -while not strictly a network decision- Rove. MasterChef was borne from its axing of Big Brother. That has delivered the network bigger audiences and a broader demographic than any of its other reality shows.

But it would certainly feel odd not to have any talent shows on TEN next year.

Source: Daily Telegraph

The latest appears to be a project called “SayitNOW” in New York -but whether it’s television or stand-up is still sketchy, while it also isn’t yet clear how significant McManus is involved in the show.

Through Twitter he seems to be making an impression on “Sorority girls” with some even admitting they have a crush on the Aussie host.

Yesterday Rove‘s management was tight-lipped about SayitNow when asked by TV Tonight.

But they did deny a second rumour that Rove had just delivered a Pilot to NBC…..

McManus recently hosted the Breakthrough Awards in Los Angeles. He will also be performing in Montreal in July.

Source: Roveonline

Here in no particular order is a selection of random questions and answers from Australia’s TV glitterati….

Scott Cam on The Block and whether it will retain its bitchy, domestic reality in 2010:

“We start in about a month, but I can’t tell you anything about it. I know where it is and who’s in it.

“I don’t think it will be bitchy, but it could be, depending on who’s there. If they’re bitchy people, there’ll be bitchy stuff goin’ on. It’s all gonna be a secret. It’s a great block and there’ll be a few little changes happening with the people that we’ve got going in there.”

Kerri-Anne Kennerley was tactful when asked if there should be more than one woman in our Hall of Fame:

“I think it’s great to celebrate everybody in television, when it’s timely. Hall of Fame is for the people who have put in so many years and are perhaps at their twilight. I’m not twilight yet. I’m not even a vampire.”

Julie Goodwin on MasterChef‘s Logie chances, and her advice to new contestants:

“I hope it wins. The producers really deserve to be rewarded for what they put out there.

“There’s some hot competition this year and I’m enjoying it.

“Hang in there. It’s going to be wild. Just hold on tight.”

Matt Preston on MasterChef‘s current ratings:

“Oh my god. We knew we had a good show and people would watch, but the idea of actually consistently beating such huge shows… if we talk about moving half an hour later there’s The Pacific, Got Talent… it’s crazy.”

I also questioned him on whether the new season was undergoing a subtle shift in tone.

He replied: “You can’t have it both ways. You can’t say these people don’t care about each other when they’re crying about them going out. Jonathan’s an interesting character because I think he polarises people in the house quite quickly.”

Of last week’s Italian Restaurant challenge he said, “What was interesting about the challenge was, it was the first outside challenge we had where a team failed. They totally crashed and burned.

“I think the tone’s set by our attitude to them and their food. We’ve always been tough but fair. But no, we love ‘em.

“Never judge a show by a moment. Unless you’re a columnist in which case that moment is pivotal!”

Finally he adds, “I’d like less crying, please. Harden up I say.”

Richard Reid from Today was generous with the compliments.

“I look at your website every day. You’ve got all the great stories, and I’m telling you, I go to you for the ratings, and you deliver them in a timely fashion. I found out about Scott and The Block on your blog. I always turn to your blog, I always turn to TV Tonight. I’m not lying.”

Carrie Bickmore on questions of whether she qualifies as New Talent:

“First things first. I don’t pick the category, so I have no idea, you’re probably asking the wrong person. But the role I’m doing now on 7PM is so far removed from what I did on Rove it’s very different, and I guess it feels like a new role to me so why not be up for Best New Talent? I’m just happy to be nominated.”

She also spoke to show’s improved performance since Easter.

“The end of Daylight Saving really helped and MasterChef. It takes a while to get people into a routine of what they’re watching, gradually over time I think people have realised it’s a great option for 7:00.

“David Mott and the whole network believed in us from the beginning. They had a vision from the beginning and together we’ve got there and we’re really happy about it.”

Rhonda Burchmore on the tribute to Don Lane:

“I’ve been on many a red carpet and opening night with P.J.’s dad and it’s very much an honour not only as a special celebration to Don, but to be with P.J. tonight.

P.J. Lane added:

“The producer and the M.D. are all big fans of my dad. They all wanted to make sure he was remembered in the way he deserved to be.”

Jason Coleman responded to questions on whether Dance was about the favourite or best dancer:

“The show is about the search for Australia’s favourite dancer. But the dancer in me wants the best dancer to be standing there at the finish. I think our voting public have got it right three years in a row now. We’ve had the favourite and the best dancer standing there three years in a row. Robbie’s an amazing winner, deservedly so. A ballistic missile with Peter Pan qualities with a likeability much more mature than his years.”

Asked to compare with Seven’s dance show he said, “Dancing with the Stars sits only within Latin-Ballroom. The fact that we get all of the genres just makes it more accessible. Their show is based on a ballroom dancing competition on a ballroom dance floor.

“The whole finale I believe was the best show we ever made. So it’s a nice way to finish it.”

Paul McDermott on what the media has been asking him:

“They’ve been asking how I am emotionally dealing with being 100 to 1 against. I wasn’t even aware there was a horse race going on, so that was a bit destabilising.

Eddie Perfect on duty of care when making Ultimate School Musical: Fame with high school students.

“It was huge actually. Especially when you’re got kids in a reality show and people being rejected. They were really lovely, there was none of that ‘Can we re-do that crushing rejection again so we can get another shot of it?’ It was all handled very well. There were counsellors, minders, people were looked after, unlike those other reality shows where it’s all about judging people and tearing them apart. This one is all about being supportive and encouraging, because it’s a terrifying thing to do.”

Sam Clark on juggling his music career with Neighbours:

“I had some success with my debut single Broken making it into the ARIA charts which was lovely. Now we’re kicking it on, with Ringo able to play now that he’s been away for a while. A new single, Send me a Sign, came out a week and a half ago, and another single, Devastated, is coming which will be on the show as well. Probably in about 6 or 7 weeks.”

His advice to UK candidates entering a competition to appear in the show was, “It’s very similar to how I started out on the show. Be yourself, be a little bit different. They’re going to see thousands of auditions, and you need something that’s going to stand out in a positive way. Look at the script in as many ways as you can and just go for it.

“I’m back in the show fulltime and doing the music part-time and we’ll just run with that for as long as we can.”

Shaun Micallef on TV Tonight readers tipping him for the Gold:

“Your readers are crazy, god bless ‘em. If it was up to certain sections of the TV watching community I’d be there hands down. But the bulk of the people don’t demonstrate the discernment or discretion of your readership.

“Thank you readership for me, for having such confidence, but I’m only sorry it’s going to be dashed on the cruel rocks of reality.”

As to more Generation he said, “We go back on the 23^rd of June, and I think we’re on air in August or mid-July, something like that. You probably know. Check your notes.

“I’ve got a novel coming out in November. So I’m fiddling around with that.”

Josh Thomas on his next projects:

“I’m going to Phuket for a holiday and then I’m doing a tour of New Zealand. I’m doing some stand-up.

“But there’s the ABC project I’m working on, Next of Kin. But it’s not called that anymore. It’s based on my stand-up.”

Myf Warhurst on interviewing Justin Bieber:

“The Bieber is about as tall as me. He’s got a little bit of moustache on the top lip. And his voice is going to break really, really soon.

“He was a little bit tired by the time I saw him. Not short tempered, but at 16 I got the feeling he would rather be off playing Playstation which is totally understandable.”

Rodger Corser and Josef Ber from Rush on their third series and a lack of nominations this year:

“Our show wasn’t in production when all the voting was happening, so that probably doesn’t help.

“We shot yesterday, on a Saturday. And we’re going to shoot early tomorrow morning, which is always ‘fun.’

“We’ll be back mid-year or something. We’re just really busy at the moment shooting some big episodes, with massive stunts and situations. It’s like a mini-feature every episode.”

Corser added that he is looking forward to Foxtel’s Spirited, “Spirited was great because it’s very different to Rush. There’s a bit of comedy and I have always wanted to work with Claudia, and Matt was great as well.”

So You Think You Can Dance Top 4:

“We’ve been sleeping, eating, getting ready to win Biggest Loser…. this is our first outing since the show.”

Dan Ilic and Monique Schafter from Hungry Beast on why the show didn’t get any New Talent nominees:

“I failed to do the whole two seasons without a spray tan. That was probably the reason.

“We would be up against Matt Preston, and none of us can compete although Dan does a good impression.”

Having finished filming Spicks and Specks for 2010, Hills will set his sights on international tour dates including a return to Edinburgh Fringe in August.

But he is also looking at an extended stay in North America, to pursue US opportunities.

“Maybe a month in the States and Montreal,” he told TV Tonight. “I signed up with a manager over there, and she keeps on at me to go out and do some shows.

“I went out there for four days last year, and had meetings and they said ‘Come back, we want you to come back.’”

Without a regular presence in the US casting directors have short memories, he says.

“Someone described it in LA as having A.D.D. If you’re not in front of them that second you don’t exist. They go ‘We love you, we love you,’ and then two weeks later it’s ‘Who are you?’

“I just want to do some stand-up and see how it goes. I had casting people from CBS and ABC and all that going ‘Yeah come back, we’ll get you a guest spot.’”

But he was surprised by some people’s ideas of the kind of jobs he should make himself available for.

“Someone actually said to me, ‘You should be here for a while because if Grey’s Anatomy want you for anything we need you in the country,” he said.

“I mean yeah, there’s a huge chance Grey’s Anatomy‘s going to call me!”

‘Tonight’ shows notwithstanding, the idea of a comedian as a presenter doesn’t really happen in the States, he says.

“They have comedians who host game shows, but not panels like Good News Week or Spicks and Specks. It’s a whole new thing for them.

“Wil’s (Anderson) been out there recently. So has Rove. When I was out there I met with someone who had just met Julia Morris and was about to meet Rebel Wilson. And this was the head of casting for CBS.

“They’re starting to catch on that the Aussie comedians have got something that no-one in the States has.”

Spicks will remain on air to the end of the year with a Christmas special yet to be filmed.

This year Twitter is at the centre of several stories.

After winners were leaked on Twitter ahead of being broadcast on Nine, there are calls for the ceremony to go live to air.

The broadcast is around 40 minutes delayed from Crown Palladium.

“At this stage, there are no plans to change the broadcast time of the Logies,” a Nine spokesman told the Herald Sun.

“As with all events that are broadcast in delay (eg, AFL football), people have a number of means by which they can spoil the result if they so wish – email, text, phone.”

TV Week described the Twitter revelations as disappointing. “In this time of modern technology we ask people to respect the event and the evening,” a spokeswoman said.

As well as Dannii Minogue’s tweet from the UK, Dave Hughes, Ruby Rose and Wil Anderson sent out thoughts via Twitter. Anderson’s tweets have been dubbed “toxic” after gags directed at Sigrid Thornton, Molly Meldrum, Rebecca Gibney and more.

Meanwhile outspoken columnist and occasional Q & A guest Catherine Deveny is under fire for her caustic tweets which targetted Bindi Irwin, Rove McManus, Richard Wilkins and even the In Memoriam montage.

The Sydney Morning Herald which slipped up by publishing an embargo article early was clicked just 36 times before it was pulled offline.

TV Tonight abided by all embargo information, publishing results after they had aired even after tipping on Sunday “Twitter will be unstoppable.”

Updated: Today, Deveny stood by her comments noting a gag about Bindi Irwin was using satire “to expose celebrity raunch culture and the sexual objectification of women, which is rife on the red carpet”.

“It was just passing notes in class, but suddenly these notes are being projected into the sky and taken out of context,” she said. “This (the Bindi Irwin comment) was a ludicrous remark that was as ridiculous as me saying I hope the dog that Molly Meldrum brought with him got drunk. She also said, “I love Rove. I worked for Rove for five years. I’ve publicly said and printed I would take a bullet for him. He endorsed my first book on the front cover.”

UPDATE #2: The Age’s Editor-In-Chief, Paul Ramadge, said tonight, “We are appreciative of the columns Catherine has written for The Age over several years but the views she has expressed recently on Twitter are not in keeping with the standards we set at The Age.”

Source: Herald Sun

Rove

The sixth Breakthrough Awards are held by Australians In Film, an organisation which seeks to increase the visibility of the Los Angeles-based Australian film and television community.

This year it will honour True Blood star Ryan Kwanten and fellow ex-Home and Away actor Chris Hemsworth now shooting the action flick Thor.

Past recipients include Sam Worthington, Mia Wasikowska, Isla Fisher, Abbie Cornish, Melissa George and Jesse Spencer.

Australians In Film will also announce at the ceremony the 2010 winner of the Heath Ledger Scholarship (another Home and Away name) to go to an Australian actor yet to break into Hollywood. Home and Away stars start your bidding….

The awards take place on May 13th.

Source: ABC

More recently he has been spending time in the US and enjoying a more relaxed lifestyle.

“I just found I needed to get away,” says Rove.

He says the move put some space between his life and his creative projects.

“So that when you decide, ‘I don’t think I’m going to do this show anymore’ you’re not surrounded by all the things that make you go ‘Why did you do this?’

But he noted even in the US there are cameras ready to snap him.

McManus also thanked his friend NZ host John Campbell whom he consulted before deciding whether to give away Rove.

“I called you a couple of days before I was going to do that, because I wasn’t sure what I was going to do.

“And you gave me lots of advice and were very generous and very supportive and I just wanted to publicly say thankyou for that.

On his decision to quit he says, “I think, because having reached the ten years only a couple of months before, you become very retrospective, you become very introspective and I just got to the point where it was just coming up to what would have been another two years of a contract, and I thought ‘well, then what?’ Then it’s 12 years, then how long – 15, 20, how long does this show run?

“Every now and again you might have a day where you do wake up and you go ‘calendar’s a bit empty’, for the most part I really am just enjoying a creative breath of fresh air and it feels like a bit of a weight has been lifted.”

McManus is in the running for the Gold Logie to be awarded May 2nd.

You can see the clip here.