Veteran newsreader Peter Hitchener, 77, denies rumours that he’s ‘retiring’

Peter Hitchener has denied the increasing chatter that he is about to retire from Channel Nine News.

The 77-year-old, who is celebrating 50 years with the network, stressed this week that stories of his retirement have been greatly exaggerated.

“To be clear, the first I heard about my so-called retirement was reading about it this afternoon in @theheraldsun,” Peter wrote on Instagram.

“It is my great honor and privilege to present the news, and I hope to do so for a few more years.”

In 2021, the seasoned newsreader took a step back from presenting the news full-time.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, a Channel Nine representative confirmed that Peter was cut back to four days a week.

In April of that year, Peter gave an update on his health after being taken off the air midway through the bulletin during Channel Nine’s 6pm Melbourne news.

He raised concerns after stumbling over his words on March 29 due to migraines, prompting producers to quickly revert to a pre-recorded narration.

Peter assured The Herald Sun that “everything is fine” with his health, confirming that he is taking care of himself more than ever since the on-air incident.

“I feel really good now and make sure I drink a lot of water,” he said before confirming that he had visited the hospital as a precaution.

Peter, who returned to work soon after, added that he had only suffered from migraines in the last few years.

“It was the first time it aired and I hope it never happens again,” he said.

Shortly after the footage aired, Nine – for whom Peter has been reading the news since 1998 – issued a statement confirming he was suffering from migraines.