After graduating from
AUT, Bowden began hosting the popular Saturday morning Children's television programme,
Squirt for
TVNZ. He also traveled the country with British popstar,
Robbie Williams for a television special,
Robbie Williams: Be Here Now. Bowden, then moved to
Australia and into radio, working as a roving nightly reporter for
Austereo, on
2Day FM. Then in 2004, it was announced Bowden would return to New Zealand as the sole host of
New Zealand Idol for
TVNZ. The
Idol series one grand final was watched by a quarter of the country's population. During this time, for six months Bowden hosted his own nightly radio show for
MediaWorks Radio on
More FM, called Most Wanted. He also appeared as a contestant on
Celebrity Treasure Island: Series 1 and Shock Treatment. As well as hosting the successful game-shows,
Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader and
Dare to Win, which had a similar format to
Minute to Win It. Bowden has worked as a reporter for the magazine news show
20/20 (US television series), traveling to Los Angeles to interview
Ryan Seacrest for a television special in New Zealand. Shortly after, Bowden signed with Seacrest's then agent
William Morris Endeavor and moving to Los Angeles. He was selected by
American Idol executive producers
Nigel Lythgoe and
Ken Warwick to host "
The Next Great American Band", which was cancelled after one season. In 2014, Bowden co-hosted the all access show with
Lacey Schwimmer for
Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 19). Bowden was the sole host of the
first and
second series of the New Zealand version of
X Factor. He was also the host of the revived sixth season of
Dancing with the Stars in New Zealand, alongside
Sharyn Casey. Both of these shows aired on
TV3. Bowden was the host of
The Hype on the
E! Network in Australia and New Zealand, alongside
Ksenija Lukich. The show first aired October 2015, but is no longer screening on E!.
Other work Bowden has co-hosted the televised
Qantas Television Awards,
New Zealand Music Awards, Girlfriend Model Search, NZ Color Trophy Awards and the Christmas at St Matthews Music Special. He has also been enlisted as a weekly columnist for the ''
New Zealand Woman's Weekly, New Idea
and The TV Guide''. He appeared on
Shortland Streets 15th anniversary show. He has done voice over work for Bond and Bond and
Burger King, as well as appearing in numerous TV commercials, as well as narrator for season 2 of
IRT World Deadliest Roads. As an actor, Bowden appeared in the independent feature
The Devil Dared Me To. The film had its world premiere at Austin's
South by Southwest Festival and received a standing ovation. In addition to his film role, he had small roles on the television series
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys,
Xena: Warrior Princess and
Shortland Street. He also played himself on
Go Girls. He also interviewed stars for between-movie fillers on
Sky Television. ==Personal life==