'Dirty Jobs' canceled: What's next for host Mike Rowe?

There will be no more "Dirty Jobs" for host Mike Rowe.

According to a blog written by Rowe, the Discovery Channel has canceled the pioneering reality show which took him into sewers and mud pits to perform weird, gross, and disgusting work-related tasks.

While "Dirty Jobs," which premiered in 2003, was once a ratings success, its numbers have drifted downward over the years. Just last week, Discovery confirmed the cancellation (again) of the once-popular "American Chopper," about a father-son team of bike builders.

Discovery did not return a request for comment.

With the cancellation, Rowe, 50, can take a break from "exploding toilets, venomous snakes, misadventures in animal husbandry, and feces from every species," he writes in his blog post .

Rowe learned the news several weeks ago, but seemed to be in some denial about its demise. "My first instinct was to immediately pass the news on to you, but frankly, it's taken me a few weeks to digest," he blogged, explaining how the show was a "very personal" endeavor for him.

Some memorable "Dirty Jobs" of seasons past include:

• "Pig Farmer" (Aug. 9, 2005): Never say someone lives like a pig. Because they don't.

• "Alligator Farmer" (Jan. 24, 2006): Rowe tries to catch baby alligators. Uh, they win.

• "Dirty Jobs of the Big Apple" (April 14, 2008): Anyone who lives in New York City will fully appreciate all the things we take for granted -- like working elevators.

• "Sheep Castrator" (Oct. 21, 2008): A man bit off a lamb's testicles with his teeth. Enough said.

In his blog, Rowe marks Thanksgiving day by expressing his gratitude for the crew and the fans.

"Whether we were dangling from bridges, crawling through mines, swimming with sharks, castrating sheep, transplanting giant cacti, or slowly freezing to death on the Arctic Ocean, we usually made it out in one piece, and we always got what we needed," he says of the intrepid cameramen, producers, sound technicians, and others who braved hazardous conditions to film the show.

As for the fans, Rowe acknowledges the show wouldn't have existed without them.

"In truth, it was really you guys who programmed the show," he notes. "Long after I ran out of ideas for more jobs, it was your suggestions that kept us on the air."

It's unclear if Rowe will continue with his other Discovery Channel ventures -- "How Booze Built America," which aired this fall, and narrating "Deadliest Catch," which is currently filming for an April 2013 premiere.

Rowe has other irons in the fire -- like appearing in commercials for Ford, Lee Jeans, and Viva paper towels. Earlier this year, he guest starred alongside Tim Allen on the ABC sitcom "Last Man Standing."

He also tends MikeRoweWorks.com, a site supporting trade workers. His advocacy for the industry led him to appear at an event with presidential nominee Mitt Romney -- though Rowe later said he didn't intend it as an endorsement.

"Good things are in the works," Rowe writes in his blog. "Not as dirty perhaps, but exciting nevertheless."

Fans of the show expressed their sadness about the end of "Dirty Jobs" on Twitter. Check out a few reactions below: