Rob Lowe bought his stepmother a pair of "edible panties" when he was just eight.

The 54-year-old Hollywood star - who has grownup sons Matthew, 25, and John, 23, with wife Sheryl Berkoff - had no idea that the sugary underwear was a risqué choice of gift for his parent figure, and admits he's been "careful" with his festive shopping ever since.

Appearing on 'The Jonathan Ross Show', the former 'West Wing' star confessed: "When I was eight years old I learnt to be careful what you buy.

"My father had remarried. A new stepmother - it was that first moment as a kid where you actually go out and you're going to buy like an adult, you're going to buy Christmas presents.

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"I bought her what I thought was great, they were edible panties. As an eight-year-old, I'm thinking: 'these are amazing, you can eat them and they're strawberry, she is going to love these'."

The 'About Last Night' star is currently in the UK promoting his new ITV drama 'Wild Bill', which hits screens in 2019.

The actor-and-director - who takes on the role of US police chief Bill Hixton who decides to move to Lincolnshire with his teenage daughter to escape recent painful memories in their lives.

Hixton is "whip-smart, acerbic and unstoppable" in the six-part series.

Rob - who will also be an executive producer on the drama - said: "As an actor, Wild Bill is a larger than life character who's outrageously articulate, has nothing to lose and revels in being an American fish out of water.

"As an executive producer, I'm excited to work with such talented partners and to come back to work in the UK, which I always love."

-Bang! Showbiz