Pete Rowsthorn went on I’m A Celeb because of tax problems

He’s an actor and comedian, beloved Australia wide for his endearing performances on shows such as Kath & Kim.

But Pete Rowsthorn, best known as ‘pants man’ Brett Craig on Kath & Kim, hasn’t been seen much on TV in recent years, apparently through no choice of his own.

He re-emerged on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! on Sunday, before revealing the sad reality of his tax troubles to Woman’s Day on Tuesday.

Peter, 55, explained it was a ‘whack’ tax bill that spurred his decision to go on Channel Ten’s reality show, implying it wasn’t something he’d usually do.

‘You know, we live in a beautiful country and I got behind on my payments. I got sick of staring at the ceiling going, “How am I going to pay it?”

The father-of-four reportedly admitted it was the ‘only way’ he could get his family ‘back on their feet’.

‘I said to my wife[Gabrielle], “If you can think of a better way, let me know, but I can’t.’

Where did Pete go? Best known as ‘pants man’ Brett Craig on Kath & Kim, he hasn’t been seen much on TV in recent years, apparently through no choice of his own

Peter revealed the family lives on a single income, with his devoted wife tied-up providing ’round-the-clock’ care for her sick mother. 

 He had to convince himself to appear on the program, which tasks celebrities with gruelling challenges, often involving disgusting food and dangerous animals.

‘If you get kicked off after two weeks it doesn’t really matter, but if you win it, you’ve raised some money for charity, you’ve had an experience, and I’ve paid my tax bill off,’ the comedian said.

Get me out of here: Peter, 55, explained in an interview this week that it was a ‘whack’ tax bill that spurred his decision to go on the reality show, implying it wasn’t something he’d usually do

The personality declined to reveal the extent of his debt, simply stating: ‘[I owe] Different amounts from different accounts.’ 

As well as a reasonably successful stand-up comedy career. Peter became a household name as the patient husband to Kim [Gina Riley] on Kath & Kim.

Family first: The father-of-four reportedly admitted it was the ‘only way’ he could get his family ‘back on their feet’ (pictured with his family in 2009)

SOS: ‘I said to my wife[Gabrielle], “If you can think of a better way, let me know, but I can’t,’ he added

He was once a regular feature on shows such as improvised comedy offering Thank God You’re Here – but in 2018, live comedy formats rarely attract sustainable ratings.

Peter demonstrated his diverse skill set as the host of ABC’s Can We Help?, a factual program driven by viewers in need of assistance, running from 2006 to 2011.

It was his last major television role before he entered the South African jungle on Sunday, alongside the likes of Anthony Mundine and Bernard Tomic.

Yesteryear: Peter was once a regular feature on shows such as live improvised comedy offering Thank God You’re Here – but in 2018, live comedy formats rarely attract high ratings