Andrew O'Keefe

AM
O'Keefe in 2006
Born (1971-10-01) 1 October 1971
Sydney, Australia
Other namesA.O.K
Years active2003–2021
Known for
SpouseEleanor Campbell (div. 2019)
Children3
ParentBarry O'Keefe (father)
FamilyJohnny O'Keefe (uncle)

Andrew Patrick O'Keefe AM (born 1 October 1971) is an Australian former television presenter and lawyer. He co-hosted the weekend edition of breakfast program Weekend Sunrise from 2005 until 2017[1] as well as the localised versions of game shows Deal or No Deal and The Chase Australia. Since 2021, he has been arrested several times for drug and domestic violence offences.

O'Keefe worked as an intellectual property lawyer with law firm Allens Arthur Robinson.[2]

Media career

O'Keefe first started his television career in 2003 in Channel Seven's show Big Bite. Later the same year he began hosting Deal or No Deal.

In 2005, O'Keefe co-hosted the tri-network tsunami appeal Reach Out for relief efforts around Asia. In the same year, he hosted the short-lived Dragons Den and co-hosted the 47th TV Week Logie Awards.[3]

From 2005 to 2017, O'Keefe co-hosted Weekend Sunrise on Saturday and Sunday mornings. He was co-hosting with Samantha Armytage from 2007, when Lisa Wilkinson moved to Today, until 2013, when Armytage moved to the main Sunrise program.[4] Armytage was replaced with Monique Wright on Weekend Sunrise as a result. He also regularly substituted for David Koch on Sunrise. He presented the program for two weeks whilst Koch was on holidays during the summer period of 2013 alongside his former Weekend Sunrise co-host Samantha Armytage.

From 2007 to 2009, O'Keefe hosted the quiz show The Rich List.

On 31 May 2013, O'Keefe commenced playing the role of King Herod in the Australian tour of the Jesus Christ Superstar arena show.[5][6] However, on 14 June 2013, he was admitted to hospital with a neck injury requiring surgery and was forced to relinquish the role for the rest of the tour. O'Keefe believed the injury was aggravated during a performance of the show.[6]

In 2015, O'Keefe began presenting Seven's new game show, The Chase Australia.[7]

In December 2017, O'Keefe announced his resignation as co-host of Weekend Sunrise after 12 years with the show.[8][1]

O'Keefe's contract with the Seven Network expired at the end of 2020, and he was replaced by Larry Emdur for The Chase Australia.[9][10]

Honours

In January 2017, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his television and charity work.[11]

Personal life

O'Keefe is one of five children.[12] His father was Barry O'Keefe, a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. He is a nephew of the Australian rock and roll singer Johnny O'Keefe.[13][2]

He attended Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview,[14] and then studied arts and law at the University of Sydney.[2]

O'Keefe was married and has three children. In 2017, the couple separated; in 2019, they divorced.[15]

Community and charity work

O'Keefe is a former chairman of the White Ribbon Australia, an organisation dedicated to the prevention of violence against women.[16] He was one of the founding members of the campaign in Australia and was an ambassador from 2004, prior to the organisation's dissolution in 2019.[17][18]

As a result of his work with the White Ribbon Australia, O'Keefe was appointed to the inaugural National Council for the Prevention of Violence Against Women in May 2008, which drafted the report Time for Action: Australia's National Plan for Reducing Violence Against Women and their Children on behalf of the federal government.[19][20][21]

Arrests and criminal charges

In January 2021, O'Keefe was arrested and charged with domestic violence and common assault against his partner. An interim apprehended violence order was sought against O'Keefe by NSW Police on behalf of his partner.[22][23][24] In June 2021, O'Keefe had the charges dismissed as the community magistrate found that he was in a hypomanic bipolar state when the offending occurred.[25][26] He was ordered to complete an intensive mental health treatment program.[27]

In September 2021, O'Keefe was arrested by police for domestic violence related offences, including contravening an apprehended violence order and assault.[28][29] Footage was later released during his court session in November 2023 showing O'Keefe hurling abuse at police.[30]

On 27 January 2022, O'Keefe was arrested after he allegedly grabbed a woman by the throat, pushed her to the ground, and punched and kicked her at his unit in Sydney.[31] He was later refused bail after his arrest.[32]

On 11 February 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession of 1.5 grams of marijuana.[33] He has a long history of drug abuse, including cocaine and methamphetamine.[34]

On 4 May 2022, O'Keefe was denied bail and served five months in jail after failing a drug test.[35] The magistrate said, "There will be a contempt citation unless he retracts and apologises for his behaviour".[36] On 23 May, O'Keefe appeared in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and was granted bail, with strict conditions that he be sent to a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility in Swan Bay, north of Sydney, for up to a year. Justice Hulme said O'Keefe had long struggled with mental health issues and that rehabilitation was a "good opportunity" for him. He is scheduled to appear before the Downing Centre Local Court in June 2022 for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to one charge of possessing 1.6 grams of cannabis.[37]

On 24 November 2022, after months on bail, O'Keefe was arrested again at his Vaucluse home for allegedly breaching his bail conditions.[38]

On 4 April 2023, O'Keefe was arrested after failing his RBT at Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.[39]

On 19 August 2023, O'Keefe was arrested for allegedly breaching an apprehended violence order.[40] He was released from jail a few days later.

On 5 December 2023, O'Keefe pleaded guilty after he was charged for drug driving at Point Piper.[41]

Filmography

Title Year Role
Big Bite 2003-2004 Host
Deal or No Deal 2003-2013 Host
NewsWeek 2004 Host
Carols in the Domain 2004 Himself
Weekend Sunrise 2005-2017 Host
Rove Live 2005 Himself
Dragons Den 2005 Host
The Chaser's War on Everything 2006 Himself
Kath and Kim 2007 Himself
The Rich List 2007-2009 Host
TV Burp 2009 Himself
Stefan and Craig: Slightly Live 2010 Himself
Review with Myles Barlow 2010 Himself
31 Questions 2012 Himself
Dirty Laundry Live 2014 Himself
Back Seat Drivers 2014 Himself
The Chase Australia 2015-2021 Host
Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell 2020 Himself
Beat the Chasers Australia 2020 Himself

References

  1. 1 2 Knox, David (8 December 2017). "Andrew O'Keefe quits Weekend Sunrise". TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Weekly, Lawyers (12 August 2011). "Changing Channels: Andrew O'Keefe on Allens to showbiz". Lawyers Weekly. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  3. ↑ "Home And Away's Alf in Australia Day Honours". Television.AU. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  4. ↑ Vickery, Colin (22 November 2011). "Seven Network's Andrew O'Keefe admits he's restless from Deal or No Deal and Weekend Sunrise". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 June 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  5. ↑ "Australian tour of Jesus Christ Superstar kicks off in Perth". WA Today. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  6. 1 2 Doherty, Elissa (14 June 2013). "Andrew O'Keefe pulls out of Jesus Christ Superstar with serious neck injury". news.com.au. News Limited. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  7. ↑ Knox, David (18 July 2015). "Media gets on board with AOK to host The Chase". TV Tonight. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  8. ↑ Hornery, Andrew (8 December 2017). "Andrew O'Keefe quits Weekend Sunrise". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  9. ↑ Knox, David (2 February 2021). "Seven parts company with Andrew O'Keefe". TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  10. ↑ Bucklow, Andrew (8 February 2021). "The Chase Australia: Larry Emdur tipped to replace Andrew O'Keefe". News.com.au. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  11. ↑ "Mr Andrew Patrick O'KEEFE". Australian Government. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  12. ↑ Beck, Chris (12 January 2006). "Chris Beck talks to Andrew O'Keefe". The Age. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  13. ↑ "Ten questions: Andrew O'Keefe". The Australian. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  14. ↑ "Old Ignatians' –". Potentiality Online Communities. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  15. ↑ Doyle, Erin (24 October 2019). "Andrew O'Keefe says he felt life was "meaningless" after marriage breakdown". Woman's Day. Now To Love. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  16. ↑ "Appointment of a new Chair of White Ribbon Australia" (PDF). White Ribbon Foundation. 15 May 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  17. ↑ Members of National Council to reduce violence against women and children announced | Australian Government 26 May 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2013 Archived 16 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ Tatham, Harriet (28 January 2022). "Woman bit former TV presenter Andrew O'Keefe to break free of him, court hears". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  19. ↑ White Ribbon Foundation
  20. ↑ "White Ribbon Breakfast". AnglicareNT. November 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  21. ↑ "National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children". Department of Social Services. Commonwealth of Australia. March 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2022. Time for Action: The National Council's Plan for Australia to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, 2009-2021
  22. ↑ "Channel 7 personality Andrew O'Keefe facing domestic violence charge". The Sydney Morning Herald. 31 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  23. ↑ Parkes-Hupton, Heath (31 January 2021). "Channel 7 star Andrew O'Keefe arrested in Sydney, faces domestic violence charge". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  24. ↑ "Channel 7 confirms it dumped Andrew O'Keefe". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  25. ↑ Mitchell, Georgina (25 June 2021). "Andrew O'Keefe domestic violence charges dismissed on mental health grounds". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  26. ↑ "Domestic violence charges against TV personality Andrew O'Keefe dismissed". ABC News. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  27. ↑ "Andrew O'Keefe's domestic violence charges dismissed". News.com.au. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  28. ↑ Zemek, Steve (11 September 2021). "Ex-TV star Andrew O'Keefe facing fresh DV claims". News.com.au. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  29. ↑ "Australian TV host Andrew O'Keefe faces fresh domestic violence claims". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  30. ↑ https://www.9news.com.au/national/andrew-okeefe-court-confrontation-police-heated-arrest-alleged-domestic-assault-sydney/768a7a8a-a249-4a29-890e-ba77991cbf06
  31. ↑ Rawsthorne, Sally (26 January 2022). "Former TV host Andrew O'Keefe arrested over allegations he choked woman". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  32. ↑ Goodenough, Cheryl (8 March 2022). "Ex-TV presenter O'Keefe refused bail". Northern Beaches Review. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  33. ↑ Noble, Freya (11 February 2022). "Andrew O'Keefe pleads guilty to drug possession". Nine News. Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  34. ↑ "Andrew O'Keefe's journey from TV star to a jail cell". 9Now. Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  35. ↑ Knox, David (5 May 2022). ""No justice": Court rejects new bail application for Andrew O'Keefe | TV Tonight". TV Tonight. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  36. ↑ Ferri, Lauren (4 May 2022). "TV host Andrew O'Keefe warned by magistrate after explosion in court". news.com.au. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  37. ↑ Reddie, Mark (23 May 2022). "Andrew O'Keefe to spend up to a year in rehab to address 'significant descent'". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  38. ↑ Ferri, Lauren (24 November 2022). "Former TV host Andrew O'Keefe allegedly failed drug test, breached bail". News.com.au. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  39. ↑ Meacham, Savannah (5 April 2023). "Andrew O'Keefe update: Embattled TV host charged with drug driving". Nine News. Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  40. ↑ Chung, Laura (20 August 2023). "Andrew O'Keefe charged with breaching AVO". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  41. ↑ https://7news.com.au/news/former-tv-host-andrew-okeefe-enters-plea-on-drug-driving-charge--c-12789710
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