The news presenter is recovering from surgery.

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Questions are quietly circulating within the Nine newsroom as veteran presenter Peter Overton continues to recover from the serious injuries he sustained in a recent fall at home.

Peter’s absence from the bulletin – and the limited official communication from Nine – has sparked industry chatter, particularly given the 59-year-old’s stature as one of the network’s most recognisable faces.

While there is no confirmation of any complication beyond the injury itself, the lack of detailed updates from the network has left some staff wondering why information is instead being shared primarily through Peter’s wife, journalist and author Jessica Rowe.

“For Nine to not respond to countless media enquiries about one of their highest paid stars is in itself attracting plenty of suspicion,” an insider tells Woman’s Day.

“What remains a mystery is whether the rumours are true – that the fall was so serious he sustained a suspected concussion, and underwent a gruelling 4 hour arm surgery which suggests it was a very serious fall.”
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Jess recently took to Instagram to explain the situation, describing the household as “never a dull moment,” before revealing that Pete had “a nasty fall at home, badly injuring his wrist.”

She said the presenter underwent a four-hour operation involving a bone graft, three metal plates and several screws, and is now under strict instructions to rest and recover before returning to air.

Her update was immediately met with a wave of support from friends and colleagues including Terri Irwin, Richard Wilkins, Angela Bishop, and Colin Fassnidge, who all wished Pete a smooth recovery.

Within the network, some staff have noted that Jess has become the primary source of information about Peter’s condition – something that, according to insiders, is unusual for a presenter of his profile.

Typically, management provides updates about the wellbeing of major on-air talent, and some are quietly speculating about why this hasn’t occurred more formally.

A Nine insider stressed that “everyone simply wants Pete healthy and rested,” but acknowledged there is “curiosity, and perhaps a little confusion,” about the flow of communication.

 

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Adding another layer of discussion is Jess’s brief trip to Thailand with the couple’s daughter, Allegra, to celebrate her finishing Year 12.

While the holiday has been described as a long-planned mother-daughter milestone, it has prompted chatter about the timing – though friends of the family say the pair are famously close and had been set on marking the end of exams together.

Jess herself has been open in the past about the family’s ups and downs, including the frightening 2021 incident where her car burst into flames during school pickup. “Drama seems to plague the Overton/Rowe tribe,” one source revealed, “but they always find their way through it.”

Pete also spent time off air earlier this year after doctors discovered a vocal cord polyp, which his wife also disclosed on social media. The presenter underwent surgery and adhered to doctor-ordered silence as part of his recovery.

Given this series of health issues, it is perhaps unsurprising that some within the network are quietly wondering how the beloved anchor is faring – and when he will be ready to return to Nine’s nightly bulletin.

For now, those close to him say he is focused solely on healing, and that he “can’t wait to return.”