Dominic Bowden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dominic Bowden
Born	(1977-12-15) 15 December 1977 (age 47) Auckland, New Zealand
Nationality	New Zealander
Occupation	Host
Years active	1999–present
Spouse(s)	Claire Robbie ​ ​ (m. 2008; div. 2012)​

Dominic Joseph Bowden (born 15 December 1977) is a well-known New Zealand television host and voice actor. He is famous for hosting many popular reality TV shows in New Zealand. These include New Zealand Idol, Dancing with the Stars New Zealand, and The X Factor New Zealand. When he lived in Los Angeles, he hosted an American music competition show called The Next Great American Band. He also worked as a Hollywood reporter for the Erin Simpson show. Some people even call him "New Zealand's Ryan Seacrest" because he hosts so many big shows.

Early Life and Education

Dominic Bowden was born in Auckland, New Zealand. He went to Sacred Heart College there. In 2000, he graduated from the Auckland University of Technology. He earned a Bachelor of Communication Studies, focusing on Television.

Dominic Bowden's TV Career

Starting Out in Television

After finishing university, Dominic began his TV career. He hosted Squirt, a popular children's TV show on TVNZ. Later, he moved to live television, hosting the weekly music show Space. He also traveled with British pop star Robbie Williams for a special TV show called Robbie Williams: Be Here Now.

Hosting Big Reality Shows

In 2004, Dominic returned to New Zealand. He became the main host of New Zealand Idol for TVNZ. The final episode of the first Idol series was watched by a huge number of people. It was seen by about a quarter of New Zealand's population!

During this busy time, Dominic also hosted his own radio show. It was called Most Wanted and aired nightly on More FM. He also appeared as a contestant on Celebrity Treasure Island: Series 1. He also hosted game shows like Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader and Dare to Win.

Working in America

Dominic interviewed famous American host Ryan Seacrest for a TV special. Soon after, Dominic moved to Los Angeles. He was chosen to host The Next Great American Band. This show was created by the same people who made American Idol. In 2014, he also co-hosted a show for Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 19) in the United States.

Back in New Zealand TV

Dominic returned to New Zealand to host more big shows. He was the main host for both the first and second series of The X Factor New Zealand. He also hosted the popular Dancing with the Stars in New Zealand. He hosted this show with Sharyn Casey. Both of these shows were shown on TV3.

From 2015 to 2016, Dominic hosted The Hype. This show was on the E! Network in Australia and New Zealand.

Other Work and Appearances

Dominic has co-hosted several important events. These include the Qantas Television Awards and the New Zealand Music Awards. He has also written weekly columns for magazines like New Zealand Woman's Weekly.

He has done voice-over work for commercials. He was also the narrator for season 2 of IRT World Deadliest Roads. As an actor, Dominic appeared in the movie The Devil Dared Me To. He also had small roles in TV shows like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. He even played himself on the show Go Girls.

Personal Life

Dominic Bowden married TV3 reporter Claire Robbie in 2008. They later separated and divorced in 2012.

Filmography