Peter Overton was born in 1965 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He grew up next door to actress Nicole Kidman. In 1983, Peter graduated high school and began studying for his Bachelor of Economics degree. In 1985, while doing work experience at radio station 2UE, Peter fell into journalism when the regular sports reporter suddenly fell ill. Peter stepped in and was such a natural that the station offered him a full time job. In 1987, Peter moved to Sky Channel where he worked as a presenter and reporter. In 1990, he began reading the weekend sports report for Channel 7 in Adelaide. In 1992, he worked as a sports reporter for National Nine News, which he continued to do for eleven years. In 2001, Peter became a household name throughout Australia as a reporter for "60 Minutes". In the mid-1990s, Peter married his childhood sweetheart, but their marriage ended in divorce in 2000. In mid-2001, Peter began dating Channel 10 news reader, Jessica Rowe. They became engaged on 9 August 2003 and married five months later. On 12 January 2004, Peter and Jessica wed barefoot on Bondi Beach.