Rove's surprise exit upsets fans

Fans have expressed their dismay over the surprise ending of long-running variety show Rove after 10 years on television. Photo / Supplied

Fans have expressed their dismay over the surprise ending of long-running variety show Rove after 10 years on television.

Host Rove McManus shocked viewers on Sunday night, announcing the show would be the last.

Fans and celebrities took to social networking site Twitter, with Rove stalwart, comedian Peter Helliar leading tributes to the program and McManus.

"Rove McManus is the most talented, generous, humble, hilarious, encouraging, inspiring, kindest and loyal man I have met," Helliar posted on Twitter.

Viewers expressed their disappointment, with one writing: "awww im going to miss rove.. how sad..." while another said "So sad about the show, i have been watching you for so many yrs! Ur like a part of the furniture! Thanks for all the laughs rove!!"

But not all were upset: "Very happy that Rove is over, his show went five years too long".

McManus, a three time Gold Logie winner, said the decision had come after discussions with Network Ten recently.

But he's set to continue on at the network, with his production company responsible for Before the Game and The 7pm Project.

It's not yet clear whether his other program, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader will be back.

"It is very short notice, I do realise that. But it's only a decision that I came up with very recently," McManus said on his show.

"And to be honest I didn't want a whole lot of fuss going into tonight as I don't going out the other end as well."

With guests such as actor Sam Worthington, Rove went out in ordinary fashion, with just 760,000 across the five major cities.

It was far down from its ratings heyday when it was pulling in well over a million viewers each week.

This year there's been erratic ratings and talent changes, with Dave Hughes and Carrie Bickmore moving to The 7pm Project.

TV expert Vincent O'Donnell said it was the end of an era as three time Gold Logie winning McManus departed, saying he was one of the best performers of the last decade.

"He has a relationship with the camera that enables him to speak to his audience as though he is speaking to each individually and that is special," O'Donnell told AAP.

"Bert Newton, Graham Kennedy and Don Lane have or had it. Dave Allen was very good like that too, but Rove does it so effortlessly."

O'Donnell said the show was not helped this year by the poor lead-in from Australian Idol, and McManus probably tired out.

"Despite his recent statements about the show and the pleasure it give him, 10 years doing basically the same thing could be a restraint of and individual's creative evolution," he said.

The show first launched on the Nine Network in 1999 when McManus was 25 years old. It was axed at the end of the year.

Network Ten picked it up the following year where it became a ratings winner, and scored big Hollywood and Australian stars and politicians such as prime minister Kevin Rudd.

There was speculation that the show would end after McManus endured the death of his first wife, actress Belinda Emmett, in 2006.

But he returned in 2007, moving from Tuesdays to Sundays and big audiences.

McManus wasn't available for further comment on Monday.

But his management rejected speculation he was planning a move to radio to fill the spot vacated by Tim Rosso Ross on Nova 969.

A Ten spokeswoman said they "have a great Sunday line-up" for 2010 but it was too soon to announce what that was.

- AAP