'I would just shut down': Rove reveals the prying questions he hated during his late wife's cancer battle
Former talk show host Rove McManus has opened up about the struggles of being in the limelight while his late wife suffered cancer.
Speaking with podcast host Jess Rowe on The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show the star spoke openly about his discomfort with questions about his wife, Belinda Emmett.
"It was a tricky thing to navigate without getting mad at people for prying," McManus admitted.
Listen to the audio above
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Rove McManus struggled with media attention during his late wife's suffering. AAP
"I'd maybe give a warning and I've had times where I'd literally just sit there with my arms folded and say 'I'm not going to talk about it'."
The TV personality's first wife, Belinda Emmett, died of cancer in 2006. McManus and his now-wife Tasma Walton have been happily married since 2009
Elsewhere in the podcast, McManus spoke to the incessant prying from people about his home life while he was trying to do his job as his late wife was sick.
"At the time it was difficult because you're trying to juggle what you're dealing with in life with what you're dealing with at work," he said.
"Having to do promotion which was part of the job you have to let people know what you're doing but then people want to know what's happening at home."
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McManus and his late wife Belinda Emmett. Getty
The star said he felt personal information about his home life was to be reserved for friends and family, and that many who asked him were not asking out of genuine concern.
"It's none of your business what's happening at home, I'm not here to talk about what's happening at home," he said.
"There are people who are like 'I need to know so I can write it down and tell people, or take it out of context, or make that key piece out of this whole chat that we've had'."
The star explained that he'd respond to questions about his late wife with very brief answers or no answers all together.
"I'd just shut down," he added.
"People were told that there's legitimate no-go zones and if you don't respect that then you understand that maybe the response you get is not going to be a good one, and that's a roll of the dice you take."
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The TV star married his current wife in 2009. Getty
McManus shared he'd become very closed off to people who weren't respectful of his boundaries.
"Either you're able to navigate around that or just be prepared that you might have someone whose been bubbly and effervescent and forthcoming who then closes down, and that's exactly what I would do," he said.
"I'd maybe give a warning and I've had times where I'd literally just sit there with my arms folded and say 'I'm not going to talk about it'.
McManus and Walton wed in a private ceremony and have one daughter together.
