Deborah Mailman and Spencer McLaren on Rove Live

In this clip, Rove McManus interviews Deborah Mailman and Spencer McLaren, two of the stars of The Secret Life of Us, on Rove Live.

The interview covers a range of topics such as the impact the show has had on their lives, appearing at awards ceremonies, popularity locally and in the UK, and reactions to McLaren’s character, who comes out as gay.

We also see footage of Mailman as a presenter on ABC TV's long-running children’s program Play School, alongside actor Rhys Muldoon. Mailman appeared on Play School more than 20 times between 1998 and 2002.

While it’s only a short clip, the Play School footage shows how challenging the presenter role could be for an actor. Mailman and Muldoon are simultaneously singing, working with makeshift props, acting and telling a story, all without condescending to their young audience and while maintaining a high level of energy and enthusiasm!

Mailman worked on Play School just as her TV and film career was starting to take off, and her performance here helps give a sense of the range of her talents and appeal to different audiences.

Rove Live (2000–2006) was a popular late-night variety show which aired weeknights on Network Ten. The show was named after, and hosted by, comedian Rove McManus and its format was modelled on US late shows like Letterman, Late Night, The Tonight Show and others.

Rove Live featured live music, interviews and comedy segments and attracted both local and international celebrities.