Rove McManus is a comedian, best known for hosting the TV talk show Rove. Here, the 52-year-old talks about the important women in his life, including his wife, Tasma Walton.
My maternal grandmother, Fay Bryden, was a country girl from Western Australia. She was an incredible baker.
My grandfather, Bill Bryden, was a prisoner-of-war in WWII, stationed in Crete. He began corresponding with Granny after his best mate, Ken – her brother – was killed in action. As soon as he was freed at the end of the war, they married.
My paternal grandmother was known as Mac – her real name was Johanna. She lived until the age of 101.
My mum, Coralie, is one of the coolest women I know. She made incredible school lunches up until I was in year 12. I never went through a rebellious stage as a teenager because I actually really got along with her. She was always a shoulder to cry on and ready to listen.
I told Mum I was moving out of home to give comedy a go in Melbourne when I was 21. I am still shocked my parents said yes. Mum told me to defer my degree and not give it away entirely; she said give it 12 months. I sold my car, funded my trip and kept spare funds with Mum – an emergency stash if needed.
I have two older sisters – Catherine, 55, and Julie, 53 – and a younger brother, Luke, 47. Everybody in my family has a nickname. Catherine is “Gav”, Julie is “Arnee”, and Luke is known as “Mini” [Rove’s birth name is John].
As siblings, we had our share of squabbles, but growing up with two older sisters and a very engaged mother turned me into the man I am. We’d perform concerts in the backyard and ride bikes together. I also played with their Barbie dolls.
My year 4 teacher, Patricia Reid, saw my love of performing and helped get school concerts happening. She was the first teacher who tapped into my comedy, and also put me in drag for laughs. We did a lip-sync dance routine to the song Gotta Pull Myself Together by The Nolans, a musical group of sisters; the joke was that I was the fifth little-known Nolan sister who was very clumsy, didn’t know the dance moves and missed my cues. I wore a wig and a skirt, and it went down a treat – and was all her idea.
One of my girlfriends dumped me on Valentine’s Day during a school camp and everybody knew about it. My first kiss didn’t happen until I was in year 11. We’d gone to see a school production of Oklahoma! and during the interval went outside and had a kiss in the alley. I am pleased she took control of the situation. We dated for five years. I was very shy and a late bloomer.
Watching The Big Gig on TV made me realise stand-up comedy was a thing I could do. Host Wendy Harmer held it together with the freshest monologue and I also really respected and admired the incredible Jean Kittson and Rachel Berger.
Comedian Judith Lucy and I are friends and catch up quite often. We can chat at a table over long lunches and empty another bottle of wine together.
I married Belinda Emmett in 2005 [she died in 2006]. We fell in love and our experience together was wonderful. There was a period I probably thought that [finding love] would never happen again, so the fact I’ve had that joy twice in my life makes me feel fortunate.
Tasma [Walton] and I were friends for probably 10 years before we became anything more. She proposed to me in 2009, and even asked Mum for permission in a very progressive way. I had been on a trip to America. In the taxi on the way home from the airport, I gave Mum a call to tell her how the trip went. She asked, “Have you spoken to Tasma yet?” I hadn’t, so she said, “Well give her a call before me.”
I got home and there was a proposal about to happen. She didn’t let the cat out of the bag, and I obviously said yes. We have a daughter Ruby, aged 12. Ruby understands the world sometimes looks at women with gendered stereotypes. I like the fact she’s very much like her mum – more comfortable in a T-shirt and shorts than a pretty dress. Ruby has her own taste and style.
Rove McManus is currently appearing in The Taskmaster on Channel 10.
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Jane Rocca is a regular contributor to Sunday Life Magazine, Executive Style, The Age EG, columnist and features writer at Domain Review, Domain Living’s Personal Space page. She is a published author of four books.Connect via X or email.
