Mike Rowe

About

Michael Gregory Rowe, born March 18, 1962, is an American television host and narrator best known for his work on the Discovery Channel series Dirty Jobs and the series Somebody’s Gotta Do It, originally developed for CNN.

He hosted Returning the Favor, a series produced for Facebook in which he sought out people performing good deeds and reciprocated with acts of his own, and he also hosts the podcast The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe.

Beyond hosting, Rowe has lent his voice to narration across the Discovery Channel, The Science Channel, and National Geographic Channel, including programs such as Deadliest Catch, How the Universe Works, and Shark Week, and he has appeared in commercials for companies including the Ford Motor Company.

Rowe was born and raised in Baltimore County, Maryland, to John and Peggy Rowe, both of whom worked as teachers; he has described Dirty Jobs in its commercials as a tribute to his father and grandfather.

He became an Eagle Scout in 1979 with Troop 16 in suburban Overlea, and his Eagle Scout service project involved reading to students at the Maryland School for the Blind, an experience he credits as a key influence behind his eventual interest in narrating and writing.