A quick word ... with Rove

Rove will appear on 7 Days. Photo / Supplied

Rove McManus is crossing the Ditch to join the cast of 7 Days next week and to continue his ongoing "bromance" with John Campbell.

So I've been stalking you on Twitter. Sounds like you've been having a grand time in LA, schmoozing with the likes of Robin Williams and Tarantino.
It's been great! We're just here to do some interviews for the show and catching up with some people while I'm here. It's been a pleasant couple of days.

And then you're going to come to New Zealand and do our new comedy show 7 Days with Jeremy Corbett.
I'm very much looking forward to it.

Be honest, is that really as exciting as meeting Quentin Tarantino or not quite as cool?
Well, none of those people have ever worked with a bunch of very scantily clad models with suitcases. I think Jeremy's one up on them. I've known Jeremy on and off over the years, through his work on More FM and the stand-up circuit. We've done a couple of gigs together and I just really like working with him. When I heard he had the show and there was an opportunity to appear on it, I was more than happy to say yes.

So you're doing a favour for a mate really?
Well, it's done out of pity, if that's what you're wanting to say. A little bit of pity for Jeremy and a little bit of "make John Campbell jealous".

I was going to ask, I know you're mates with JC, are you going to get him to give you a current affairs briefing before you come on the show?
He likes to quiz me when I come over and I know he did the same thing to Pete [Helliar] when he came over. You've really got to do your homework before you get on a plane to New Zealand.

Well, we're a very different country. You can't just assume you can get by with your Australian wiles. You need some local knowledge.
I know, it's times like that you wish you were from a country like America where they just know nothing about any other country. And no one's expected to know anything about any other country. So when you say "Hi, I'm from Auckland", they say, "Is that anywhere near Sydney?"

What's Jeremy told you about the show? Do you think you will need to have some NZ-specific knowledge?
I actually intend to go in knowing as little as I can. If I even start to learn anything within a couple of hours - in the time it takes me to get from the airport to the studio - if I even pick up anything, any knowledge whatsoever, I will take some sort of drug or go to the hospital and have my memory erased.

And do you get nervous going on other people's shows? Obviously you're used to being in control and being the host. Is it weird being a guest?
It depends who's asking the questions. I feel very safe in Jeremy's hands.

It's one thing being safe in Jeremy's hands but it's Dai Henwood and Jeremy Elwood who are the team captains.
Yes, I am aware it's not just him. He actually sent me a photo two weeks ago when the show started, it was taken from the opposite side of the studio and you couldn't see anybody. They all looked like munchkins. I was sitting there thinking the show was hosted by ants. He needs to learn to zoom in or group them into a tighter bunch. I didn't recognise a single person.

Now, your monologue on Rove is always current affairs-based. Are you secretly planning on coming over and reeling out last week's jokes, hoping we won't notice?
Yeah, and it will look like I can predict the future. I can just come out and say, "Well, I wonder if I'll be put in a knitted penis suit this week? Because you've asked so nicely, I'll make it happen." And then it will look like I have a lot more power than I really do.

Except 7 Days screens an hour after your show. But yours is a week behind. So...
Well I did the same thing with Bill and Ben on Pulp Sport last week. We shot it the day before it went to air and I was going to talk about it on our show but then realised that when I'm talking about it, it will be the week after it went to air [in New Zealand]. It was all a bit confusing. A bit Back to the Future II for my brain to try and comprehend.

Indeed, well let's end the confusion with one final question. What's the funniest story you've seen in the news this week?
Um... fireworks are being banned in Australia. They've been banned anyway but they're thinking of outlawing them altogether. I found that amusing because I'm not sure what they expect people to do. Drugs are illegal but people find a way of buying drugs and using them at home. There are some forms of adult entertainment that you wouldn't read or watch publicly, but you do it quietly. But fireworks, you can't really do that. You can't set fireworks off at home and expect no one to notice you've done it. That's what I haven't worked out yet, what they're trying to achieve with this.