‘Never say never’: Jess Rowe reveals dream of Oprah-style TV return

It’s a rainy Friday afternoon and Jess Rowe is cosy in front of the fireplace, ready to chat to Woman’s Day all about her three favourite topics in life – husband Peter Overton, their two gorgeous daughters, Allegra and Giselle, and… cats.

“One of the reasons I fell in love with Petey is he is also a cat lover,” Jess shares of the man she’s been blissfully married to for 22 years.

“He had cats when he was a little boy as well and, actually, when we first got engaged, we got a cat together and we named it after his first cat, Alfie.

“We took delivery of Alfie when we came back from our honeymoon. He was the most darling pussycat and he lived until he was 17 years old.”

The ‘secret’ to lasting marriage

Jess, 56, and Peter, 60, have put in the hard graft to keep their relationship on track over the years, and it’s easy to see why others might want to find out and emulate their formula to a winning marriage.

“I think anyone who is in a long-term relationship knows it takes work,” Jess admits. “And there’s no secret – if there was a secret, I’d yell it from the rooftops for everyone!

“For us, the key has always been, we share the same moral compass. Although we are very different on the surface, we are aligned on the things that matter and that keeps us strong. There’ll be things we’ll disagree on or argue about, but that’s the flippant stuff.”

Laughter is also the best medicine for this self-anointed “Crap Housewife” and Peter, and it’s never in short supply. “Laughter is so important. Petey is actually a very funny person, even though as a newsman, he’s serious,” Jess says. “He has a very good sense of humour. He has to, being married to me and raising two strong young women!”

Raising strong girls

Her busy and fulfilling career aside, it’s clear Jess lives for her daughters, Allegra, 19, and Giselle, 17. They’ve just done an annual girls trip, and Jess was grateful to have three days of their attention! “We went shopping, we went to the markets, we went to yummy dinners and I just felt so lucky that they wanted to spend time with me,” she says of the Melbourne visit.

“They’re really good company. And we didn’t have Petey there nagging us about the shops!”

Now in her gap year, fashion enthusiast Allegra is modelling and working in a boutique, before starting a criminology degree in 2027.

Jess says, “She’s the most wonderful young woman. Petey and I are so proud of her because school wasn’t her favourite place, but she really got through.”

As for their youngest, Giselle is in Year 11 but already has her path mapped out once school ends. “She’s going to travel the world and change the world,” Jess explains. “She’s an activist, an advocate,

she’s passionate about the environment, about social justice and she’s a doer. She’s really remarkable.”

Watching the girls make their way through the world is “really quite something”, but does Jess – who was only just beginning her incredible media career at Allegra’s age – see a hint of her younger self in them?

“They have found their voice and their courage far sooner than I ever did,” Jess marvels. “And that is something for me to behold when I look at how they can hold themselves in a room full of grown-ups or people with different opinions.

“So in terms of are they like me when I was their age? No, they’re far stronger.”

TV comebacks and… cat perfumes?

Careerwise, Jess is content in the podcasting world with The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show, but with so much movement in the world of morning TV and news programs, surely the former Studio 10 host has contemplated a TV comeback…

“Hey, you never say never!” she laughs. “If the right thing was to come up… I always would love to do something like an Oprah-style show, because I love an audience. I love talking to people, I love sharing people’s stories, I love connecting, I love empowering people – especially women – to realise they’re enough. And to celebrate our imperfections.”

Speaking of new ventures, Jess has pivoted to try something that’s never been done before – introducing Cat No. 9 Eau de Purrfum, made for humans, to appeal to feline senses!

“I am a crazy cat lady, and I love leaning into joy,” she says of the project, which saw perfumer Jocelyn Fullerton source the key notes – silver vine, olive leaf and catnip.

After helping in the later stages, Jess tested it on her fur babies Diana, Daisy and Freddy. “I sprayed it on myself and the pussycats snuggled up and were so calm,” she says. “Diana especially, she’s our newest addition and she is not a cat I can always just snuggle!”

The fragrance has a purpose, too – to remind owners to regularly treat pets for ticks and fleas, which NexGard Spectra Cat, a low-odour parasite protection, can help with.

With only “about 100 bottles” of the limited scent, will Jess gift it to fellow famous cat lovers (ahem, Taylor Swift!)?

“Wouldn’t it be great to send it to Taylor as like a slightly late wedding present?” she laughs. “I wish it was available for sale, but people can reach out through my social media and NexGard Spectra will organise to send it to a limited number.”