Journalist and TV newsreader Peter Overton has told New Idea in an exclusive interview that his careless attitude towards sun safety in his younger years is now a source of “huge regret”.
Peter’s sun-kissed childhood mirrored that of millions of Australians.
“It was almost a badge of honour
to roast yourself red and peel off the skin in sheets,” he has told the magazine. “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.”
Though he was born in the UK, Peter’s family moved ‘home’ to Sydney’s coastal north shore when he was still a toddler and that is where he spent his youth and young adulthood. He’s been married to much-adored fellow journalist, author, and TV presenter Jessica Rowe for over 20 years and together they share two daughters, Allegra and Giselle.
Admirably–at the Neil Evans Melanoma Foundation we know first-hand how challenging and stressful a melanoma diagnosis can be–Peter now uses his very public image as a platform to advocate for sun safety, not only on behalf of his children but for all Australians.
He’s had five operations to remove melanoma so far, in addition to ‘countless’ mole removals, and is insistent that, to combat the frightening melanoma statistics in Australia–almost 17,000 of us will be diagnosed with melanoma this year alone, with one death caused by the disease every six hours–“we need to stop the glamourisation of tanning.”
Source: X (Twitter)
“I am living proof that early detection saves lives, and as a proud dad to two teenage daughters, I am passionate about reaching young Australians with sun safety and early detection messages,” Peter has shared previously with Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA). Peter is an MIA National Ambassador, helping to raise awareness about the dangers of sun damage and skin cancer, and the ongoing need to support life-saving melanoma research.
“I am delighted to be a National Ambassador for Melanoma Institute Australia which is focused on not only raising awareness, but which also leads global research efforts to find a cure for melanoma.”
We applaud Peter’s advocacy as it spotlights the cultural change that’s still needed to impact melanoma diagnosis rates in Australia. Peter also told New Idea he has regular skin checks, which are necessary to catch melanoma early enough to treat it successfully.
Not all melanoma patients are as ‘fortunate’ as Peter has been, though, to catch their cancers in the early stages. For those who don’t and are diagnosed with later-stage melanomas, treatments are more intense and can become extremely costly, which is where our work begins. Working alongside MIA, we are proudly supporting late-stage melanoma patients with financial support for costly treatments and trials, and other services.
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