"It's just like hanging out with your mates," says former Perth stand-up comic Rove McManus, who premiered his talk show on Sept. 22, 1999, at 11 pm at just 25 years old. "It makes for a great atmosphere on set and is one of the keys to me enjoying the show every week."

At first, things were shaky for the young host, whose 10-episode contract with the Nine Network was not renewed when he decided to stay with his own production company, Roving Enterprises. Ten came to the rescue in 2000, although the show didn't garner a wider audience until McManus scored an interview with two lively guests in June 2001. When Hugh Jackman sang "Summer Nights" to John Travolta on the Rove couch, we were hooked. "That cemented us as a legitimate show in the viewers' eyes," says McManus. "One that I won't forget."

The celebrity guest list grew. McManus spoke to Angelina Jolie, pre-Brad Pitt. "We were talking about how empowering it was being a single mother, but at the same time, Maddox's first steps happened when she was on location for Tomb Raider and she didn't have anyone to share that moment with," says McManus. "She was very open and sweet." Tom Cruise didn't jump on his couch, a la Oprah, "but there was a lot of laughing and clapping," he recalls. And "he promised I could be a page-boy at the wedding, which didn't come true." Ah, but the memories remain.

Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise, Beyonce Knowles and Hugh Jackman have all appeared on Rove's show, yet his favourite guests are the "people I grew up admiring," including Sir David Attenborough, Billy Connolly and Ben Elton.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appeared on the same show as Bruno, in June this year, adding to the PM's nerves. "Chatting to him backstage, he said 'Seriously, should I be worried? What's he going to do?' " recalls McManus.

"I just love her so much," says McManus of Pink (in May 2006). "She took me onto the set of her concert and got me to do this bungee trick. She's an evil woman who just wanted to see me shit my pants. She did a good job of that."

In June 2001, Hugh Jackman (left) and John Travolta starred together on Rove Live. "That was the show that put us on the map," says McManus.

Jennifer Lopez (in February 2001) was "delightful," says McManus. "We shot a sketch with her where we were going on a dinner date and she was happy to chow down into the soup and do whatever we needed."

Kylie Minogue was Rove Live's first guest on Network Ten in 2000 ("She took me op-shopping," remembers McManus), and she returned to the show (pictured) in May 2004.

On Mother's Day 2007, McManus invited his mum, Coralie, to host the show. "She hated it," he says. "But she was good. Our writers said they'd help her but she refused. She wrote all her own material."

"Oh, man," says McManus, recalling his encounter with Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno in June this year. As Bruno fought to remove Rove's G-string, the host "tried to run and I hit my head on a camera and ended up coming up worse for wear in more ways than one."