Rosie Rowbotham is one of This Morning's more colourful personalities. His distinctive voice and unique perspective spring from his notorious past. In 1977, Rosie was convicted for cannabis trafficking. Even with well-known public figures like Norman Mailer testifying on his behalf, Rosie was sentenced to 14 years in prison. In 1985, Rosie was convicted again. This time Neil Young, among others, testified for Rosie but he was sentenced to 20 years – the longest sentence for soft drugs in Canadian history.

Serving time in the Kingston area penitentiaries of Millhaven and Collins Bay, Rosie acquired a BA in Psychology from nearby Queen's University and a diploma in Business Administration from Seneca College. While incarcerated he achieved more than most people do living on the outside. Rosie became Canadian Managing Director of Prison Life, an award-winning magazine based out of New York. During his three-year time with the magazine, Prison Life won prestigious Utne Awards. Not limited to a particular medium, Rosie was also the host and executive producer for a Kingston, Ontario, local cable show.

Shortly after his release in October 1997, Michael Enright interviewed Rosie on This Morning. Two days later, he received a call from the executive producer asking him to come on as a contributing editor. Rosie's personality, experience and expertise shape his contribution to the program. He brings a human perspective to the issues of crime, punishment and the Criminal Code. With the vast and varied kinds of people he has met in his life, Rosie can report on the edgy side of popular culture without pretension.