Mike Rowe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Rowe
Rowe in 2025
Born	(1962-03-18) March 18, 1962 (age 63) Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S.
Alma mater	Towson University
Occupation	Television host, narrator
Television	Dirty Jobs Somebody's Gotta Do It

Michael Gregory Rowe (born March 18, 1962) is an American television host and narrator. He is famous for hosting the Discovery Channel show Dirty Jobs. On this show, he performed difficult, strange, and often messy jobs.

Rowe also hosted the show Somebody's Gotta Do It. For a series on Facebook called Returning the Favor, he found people doing good deeds and did something nice for them in return. He also has a popular podcast called The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe.

Besides hosting, Rowe has narrated many TV shows. These include Deadliest Catch, How the Universe Works, and Shark Week. He has also been in commercials for companies like the Ford Motor Company.

Early Life and Education

Mike Rowe was born in Baltimore County, Maryland. His parents, John and Peggy Rowe, were both teachers. Rowe has said that his show Dirty Jobs is a tribute to his father and grandfather.

As a teenager, Rowe was a member of the Boy Scouts and earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1979. For his Eagle Scout service project, he read to students at the Maryland School for the Blind. He said this experience helped him become interested in narrating and writing.

Rowe went to Overlea High School and was very active in theater and singing. After graduating in 1980, he attended Essex Community College. He later went to Towson University and graduated in 1985 with a degree in communication studies.

Television Career

Hosting Popular Shows

Rowe filming an episode of Dirty Jobs in 2010.

Before he became famous, Rowe had many different hosting jobs. In the early 1990s, he was a host for the home-shopping channel QVC. He also hosted shows for American Airlines and PBS.

His big break came from a segment on a local San Francisco TV show called "Somebody's Gotta Do It." In this segment, he would try out unpleasant jobs. This idea eventually became the hit show Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel.

On Dirty Jobs, Rowe traveled across the country to work alongside people who do the dirtiest and most difficult jobs. The show was very popular and showed respect for hardworking people.

After Dirty Jobs, he hosted a similar show called Somebody's Gotta Do It on CNN and later on TBN. In this series, he met people who were very passionate about their unique jobs, hobbies, or interests.

Work as a Narrator

Rowe during the filming of Dirty Jobs.

Rowe is also known for his deep and recognizable voice. He has narrated many popular documentary shows. Some of his most famous narration roles include:

• American Chopper
• Deadliest Catch
• How the Universe Works
• Ghost Hunters

He was originally supposed to be the on-screen host for Deadliest Catch, a show about crab fishermen in Alaska. When Discovery picked up Dirty Jobs, he had to choose one show to host. He chose Dirty Jobs but continued to narrate Deadliest Catch.

He also hosted Discovery Channel's famous Shark Week in 2006 and 2008.

Other TV Appearances

Rowe has made guest appearances on other TV shows. He was on an episode of Sesame Street where he tried to find the dirtiest job, which belonged to Oscar the Grouch. He also had a role on the sitcom Last Man Standing as the brother of Tim Allen's character.

As an Eagle Scout, Rowe has spoken at the National Scout Jamboree, encouraging scouts to appreciate the value of getting their hands dirty.

Supporting Skilled Trades

On Labor Day in 2008, Rowe started the mikeroweWORKS Foundation. The foundation supports careers in skilled trades, like plumbing, welding, and construction. Rowe believes these jobs are very important for the country.

His foundation gives scholarships to people who want to learn a skilled trade. He often says that you don't always need a four-year college degree to have a successful career.

In 2013, he started a campaign called "Work Smart AND Hard." He saw a poster in high school that said "Work Smart, Not Hard" and disagreed with it. He believes that both intelligence and hard work are necessary for success.

Rowe has spoken to government leaders about the importance of supporting skilled workers and manufacturing jobs in America.

Personal Life

Rowe once sang professionally with the Baltimore Opera. He currently lives in California. He is in a long-term relationship but is not married and does not have children.

In 2016, there were false rumors online that he had died. He responded with a famous quote often credited to Mark Twain: "Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."

Awards and Recognition

• In 2011, Rowe won the first-ever Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Reality Show Host.
• In 2012, the Boy Scouts of America gave him the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.
• In 2017, he was made an Honorary Lifetime Member of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
• In 2020, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for his show Returning the Favor.

Selected TV Work