Rove calls it a night after 10 years

Entertainer Rove McManus is walking away from his self-titled variety television show after three gold Logies and a decade on air.

McManus made the surprise announcement at the beginning of Sunday night's episode of Rove.

"I know we've made jokes about this on the show before where I've just gone, 'Oh, I'm leaving', and it's was like, 'Oh, I'm going to come back after the break'. Not this time.

"So if you need to text somebody, if you need to get on the phone, if you need to email, if you need to tweet ... I don't even know if people phone anybody any more, if you want to send off a carrier pigeon and let people know, anyone who might otherwise be watching tonight and isn't, let them know. I would love for them to be on board to say goodbye.

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

"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.

"I also think tonight's the perfect night for it and we've got the best setting possible.

"All our cast is here tonight to help wrap this baby up, you guys are at home. Will you help send me off tonight?"

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause.

McManus and Network Ten released a statement confirming Sunday night's show, which was the final for the season, would be the last.

"It was a difficult call to make but after 10 years it felt like time to step away from the show and take a break to properly reflect on what I want to do next as a performer," McManus said.

McManus, 35, has hosted the hour-long variety show for 10 years - first at the Nine Network and then, from 2000, on Ten - and through personal triumph and tragedy.

He won gold Logie awards as Australia's most popular television personality in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

McManus endured the death of his first wife, actress Belinda Emmett, in 2006, in the glare of the public spotlight.

He married partner Tasma Walton before only close friends and family in a private beach ceremony in Western Australia in June this year.

In the statement, issued shortly after his on-air announcement, McManus said the decision to end the show "came off the back of discussions" with Ten in the past couple of weeks.

"The relationship with (programming chief) David Mott and the team at Ten has given us the space to make a show that we are extremely proud of over the last 10 years," he said.

"It is more opportunity than most will ever get. I thank them for their support and hope they have enjoyed the ride as much as I have."

The 7pm Project, a news-based chat show, and AFL talk show Before The Game, both produced by his production company Roving Enterprises for Ten, will remain on the network's schedule in 2010, McManus said.

But the future of his quiz show, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader, was not mentioned in the statement.

Mr Mott said McManus would remain a part of the network.

"The end of Rove on Ten does not mark the end of Rove and Ten: a relationship that spans a decade is harder than this to switch off," he said.

* Will you miss Rove? Post your comments below.

- AAP