Peter Overton has dominated ratings in Sydney for 15 years and been a constant presence at Nine for 35 years.

Most know the 59-year-old for delivering 9News Sydney’s 6pm bulletin, or being the former reporter for 60 Minutes.

But to the people who know and love him, he is the same person on and off-air.

“I’ve never changed. That’s what my father says to me. He says ‘You’ve never changed from being the young boy to the school student to the university student, to the young sports reporter to the great jobs in Australian commercial television’,” he said.

The oldest of four siblings to parents who always kept them in line, Overton believes his upbringing and transparency are the reasons why he has resonated so much with the Australian audience.

“That’s it, no trick. It’s just being true to who you are. I think it adds to the trust. 

“The viewers are the smartest people in the house, and they can pick an imposter at 100 miles away.”

From a young sports reporter in 1991 to a 60 Minutes reporter for almost a decade, Overton has now led 9News to claim the number one ratings in Sydney for the 15th consecutive year.

It was a welcome accolade for the respected presenter as he ticked off another year in his career.

“I still pinch myself,” he said.

“After 35 years, I reckon that’s pretty darn cool to be able to say I love going to work every single day.”

Overton fondly reflects on the stories he has shared throughout his career, which have taken him across the world and resonated across Australia.

From his coverage on the forgotten generation of cancer sufferers to mental health issues, he was able to see the real-life outcomes of his hard work.

“I was doing a story in Paris and Australians would come up to me in the airport or hotel and say thank you for doing that story,” he said.

“And that meant a lot to me.”

Co-hosting Queen Elizabeth’s funeral with Tracy Grimshaw would remain one of his biggest stories.

“We were on air for 12 or 13 hours non-stop ad libbing,” he recalled.

“We had massive technical challenges, and we couldn’t see anything or hear anything, and we still had to keep pedalling hard, but we did it, and I think Trace and I were both really proud of that.”

Overton still begins each day listening to the radio, driven by the adrenaline and challenges that come with the job.

“You’re not always going to get it right in those environments,” he admitted.

“But you give it your best, you do it authentically, and you do it as a team.”

Despite his recent scare with melanoma and a polyp, Overton said he is not ready to part with the job he loves or the success so soon.

“I’ve got a few more years left,” he said.

“Fifteen years as the dominant number one in the Sydney market is a real tribute to the people I work alongside, and we don’t take anything for granted.

“I treat every night as opening night. That’s what we do, all of us, and it’s paying a lovely dividend for us all.” 

When Overton finally goes home for the day, he said he is “just dad” to his two girls. 

“It’s really nice. They’re not blindsided or impressed,” he said.