‘I’ve had five operations’: TV veteran opens up about health battle
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Skin cancer is a serious concern, with sun safety habits playing a crucial role in prevention.
For one well-known Australian newsreader, a past of carefree sun exposure has led to an ongoing battle with a dangerous form of the disease.
Now, he's opening up about his health journey and the lessons he hopes others will take from his experience.
Peter Overton revealed that he had been diagnosed with the disease in 2020 and has since undergone multiple surgeries to remove cancerous moles.
The Nine News presenter, 58, shared that he deeply regretted not being more sun safe in his younger years.
‘I have had five melanoma operations. The most delicate was removed from my forehead. The remainder have been on my back and legs,’ he shared.
He described how childhood sun exposure was once seen as normal, despite the risks.
He said: ‘That’s in addition to countless moles being cut out. [As a child] It was almost a badge of honour to roast yourself red and peel off the skin in sheets.’
Overton admitted that, despite growing up with parents in the medical field, he failed to take sun protection seriously.
‘The memories are crystal clear, the damage real. I wish I had listened to my dad, a doctor, and my mum, a nurse, to apply sunscreen. My knowledge was limited to sunburn. I don’t even think melanoma was a part of the conversation,’ he added.
Now an ambassador for Melanoma Institute Australia, Overton has dedicated himself to educating others about sun safety.
He recalled an encounter with a young man who had been sunbaking without protection.
‘Recently I saw a young, pale-skinned man roasting himself red. I was in shorts, and without hesitation showed him the train-track melanoma scar on my leg,’ he said.
‘I said that the scar was a result of lying in the sun, without sunscreen. I didn’t hesitate to tell him and show him. I hope he listened. We need to stop the glamourisation of tanning.’
Melanoma occurs when the pigment-producing cells in the skin become cancerous.
While less common than basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), it is far more aggressive and can spread quickly if not detected early.
Alongside his battle with melanoma, Overton faced another health challenge last year when doctors discovered a polyp on his vocal cords.
His wife, journalist Jessica Rowe, 54, shared details of his health scare in an interview.
‘Petey, like me, loves to talk. He’s got a wonderful voice therapist helping him to make sure he’s using his voice properly and not putting too much stress on it,’ she said.
She recalled how difficult the recovery process was and how the experience affected Overton.
‘When you lose something that is so at the essence of who you are and what you do…oh my goodness,’ she said.
‘But he’s back at work, and able to talk again. He doesn’t just have to clap his hands at me loudly.’
Overton previously admitted he was terrified by the ordeal, particularly when the surgery left him unable to speak for a week.
Rowe first broke the news of his condition on social media, explaining that his raspy voice had been caused by the polyp.
She revealed that following the procedure, he had to minimise speaking to aid his recovery.
‘He was operated on. Part of his recovery is no talking for now (a HUGE challenge for him!!). Hopefully he’ll be back to Nine News soonish,’ she wrote.
Overton later described the polyp as ‘like a big blister hanging off’ his vocal cords.
Understanding the warning signs of melanoma can make all the difference in early detection and treatment.
Watch the video below to learn what to look out for.
With skin cancer being a major concern in Australia, do you think enough is being done to promote sun safety?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
For one well-known Australian newsreader, a past of carefree sun exposure has led to an ongoing battle with a dangerous form of the disease.
Now, he's opening up about his health journey and the lessons he hopes others will take from his experience.
Peter Overton revealed that he had been diagnosed with the disease in 2020 and has since undergone multiple surgeries to remove cancerous moles.
The Nine News presenter, 58, shared that he deeply regretted not being more sun safe in his younger years.
‘I have had five melanoma operations. The most delicate was removed from my forehead. The remainder have been on my back and legs,’ he shared.
TV veteran reveals shock health battle. Image source: Nine
He described how childhood sun exposure was once seen as normal, despite the risks.
He said: ‘That’s in addition to countless moles being cut out. [As a child] It was almost a badge of honour to roast yourself red and peel off the skin in sheets.’
Overton admitted that, despite growing up with parents in the medical field, he failed to take sun protection seriously.
‘The memories are crystal clear, the damage real. I wish I had listened to my dad, a doctor, and my mum, a nurse, to apply sunscreen. My knowledge was limited to sunburn. I don’t even think melanoma was a part of the conversation,’ he added.
Now an ambassador for Melanoma Institute Australia, Overton has dedicated himself to educating others about sun safety.
He recalled an encounter with a young man who had been sunbaking without protection.
‘Recently I saw a young, pale-skinned man roasting himself red. I was in shorts, and without hesitation showed him the train-track melanoma scar on my leg,’ he said.
‘I said that the scar was a result of lying in the sun, without sunscreen. I didn’t hesitate to tell him and show him. I hope he listened. We need to stop the glamourisation of tanning.’
Melanoma occurs when the pigment-producing cells in the skin become cancerous.
While less common than basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), it is far more aggressive and can spread quickly if not detected early.
Alongside his battle with melanoma, Overton faced another health challenge last year when doctors discovered a polyp on his vocal cords.
His wife, journalist Jessica Rowe, 54, shared details of his health scare in an interview.
‘Petey, like me, loves to talk. He’s got a wonderful voice therapist helping him to make sure he’s using his voice properly and not putting too much stress on it,’ she said.
She recalled how difficult the recovery process was and how the experience affected Overton.
‘When you lose something that is so at the essence of who you are and what you do…oh my goodness,’ she said.
‘But he’s back at work, and able to talk again. He doesn’t just have to clap his hands at me loudly.’
Overton previously admitted he was terrified by the ordeal, particularly when the surgery left him unable to speak for a week.
Rowe first broke the news of his condition on social media, explaining that his raspy voice had been caused by the polyp.
She revealed that following the procedure, he had to minimise speaking to aid his recovery.
‘He was operated on. Part of his recovery is no talking for now (a HUGE challenge for him!!). Hopefully he’ll be back to Nine News soonish,’ she wrote.
Overton later described the polyp as ‘like a big blister hanging off’ his vocal cords.
Understanding the warning signs of melanoma can make all the difference in early detection and treatment.
Watch the video below to learn what to look out for.
With skin cancer being a major concern in Australia, do you think enough is being done to promote sun safety?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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