Latest news with #AndrewOKeefe
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
From poster boy to pariah: How Andrew O'Keefe almost killed the White Ribbon cause - and its CURSE of celebrity ambassador endorsements
It's hard now to believe disgraced gameshow host Andrew O'Keefe was once a celebrated White Ribbon ambassador, at the forefront of its fight to end violence against women. He would often be photographed with the movement's emblem pinned to his jacket, and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2017 for his work with them, adding its distinctive stud to the same lapel. But by the time O'Keefe was first accused of assaulting a woman in 2021, he and White Ribbon had already parted ways, and it was revealed this week the shamed TV star had finally handed back his AM last month. With the 53-year-old's string of court cases over - his last appearance was in February - the onetime host of Deal or No Deal and The Chase Australia has given up wearing suits. It's been a long time since he needed a tuxedo. These days, O'Keefe can be spotted hanging around Sydney 's eastern suburbs in one of his lurid casual outfits, smoking a cigarette and doing little else. O'Keefe says he has once and for all been able to give up the drugs that fuelled his appalling conduct and even White Ribbon, which he once chaired, wishes him well. White Ribbon has also learned from its mistake using O'Keefe to push its message and has completely abandoned using celebrities as ambassadors, according to its CEO. 'White Ribbon Australia is no longer reliant on public figures or ambassadors,' Merinda March said. 'That model failed us, and more importantly, it failed the cause. Real change doesn't come from celebrity endorsement.' The notion that all publicity is good publicity clearly doesn't apply when you're trying to stop men being violent towards women. Among the entries on his rap sheet, O'Keefe was found guilty in January last year of a 'violent and degrading' assault on a woman he had called a 'lying dog' and a 'c***'. He was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and contravening an AVO, and placed on an 18-month community corrections order. In October, Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge sentenced O'Keefe to another 30-month community corrections order for breaching an AVO. O'Keefe had previously avoided convictions for assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in June 2021, when those charges were dealt with under mental health provisions of the law. He also faced six charges after he allegedly punched, kicked and choked another woman in January 2022, but by the time the matter was heard, the alleged victim had left the country. Having pleaded not guilty - claiming he acted in self-defence - charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and choking were withdrawn in February 2023. Back in 2014, when O'Keefe was host of Weekend Sunrise, he told the Daily Telegraph he was on a mission to change men's attitudes about violence towards women. O'Keefe particularly encouraged men not to speak in a way that denigrated the opposite sex and to challenge those who do. 'It's a really simple thing on paper to say, it's really hard to do in practice,' he said. 'But having done it myself, you get nothing but kudos from mates when you do.' O'Keefe's long prior association with White Ribbon was raised almost every time he was arrested and continued to do its reputation no good. But he was not the only man to cause the movement embarrassment after being made an ambassador, just its highest-profile bad choice. Ballarat man Jon Seccull, a former prison officer who had been a White Ribbon ambassador, was arrested in 2017 and charged with sexually abusing his wife between 2014 and 2015. He was found guilty in 2023 of three counts of rape and one of threatening behaviour and in 2024, was jailed for a minimum six years and 10 months. In 2015, psychiatrist and White Ribbon ambassador Tanveer Ahmed wrote a column for The Australian newspaper in which he blamed violence against women in part on 'male disempowerment'. By the time O'Keefe was first accused of assaulting a woman in 2021, he and White Ribbon had parted ways. He is pictured at the 2006 Logies with singer and actor Natalie Bassingthwaighte Ahmed, who wrote that discussion about domestic violence debate focused on 'male villainy… and a cult of victimhood', was not asked to stand down from his White Ribbon role but resigned voluntarily. Seven months later, NRL great and former White Ribbon Day ambassador Hazem El Masri was charged with assaulting his wife, but a year later was completely cleared. In 2018, former NSW Director of Public Prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery resigned as chair of the White Ribbon board after he made comments about baby killer Keli Lane's sex life on the ABC. Later that year, Luke Foley resigned as NSW Labor leader and was stripped of his White Ribbon ambassadorship after being accused of having put his hand down a female ABC journalist's underpants in 2016. Onetime federal MP and Australian Rules great Phil Cleary has campaigned to stop male violence against women since his sister Vicki was murdered in 1987 by an ex-partner. Cleary got to know O'Keefe through White Ribbon, and in January he told Daily Mail Australia the fallen presenter should return his AM if he really wanted to show remorse. On Monday, it was revealed O'Keefe had finally done exactly that, and Governor-General Sam Mostyn had accepted his resignation of the award with effect from June 4. The next day, White Ribbon Australia issued a press release reiterating its association with O'Keefe had ended in 2019 and stating it 'denounces, in the strongest possible terms, Mr O'Keefe's actions and violence against women'. White Ribbon Australia was established in 2007, went into voluntary liquidation in 2019 with debts of $840,000 and was resurrected under the stewardship of community services provider Communicare the following year. CEO Merinda March said White Ribbon's past association with O'Keefe and 'other former ambassadors whose actions have come under public scrutiny' had prompted a 'fundamental shift' in its approach to ending violence against women. 'Andrew O'Keefe's actions are deeply distressing to Australians who support our organisation's aims to end violence against women,' Ms March said. 'Mr O'Keefe was White Ribbon Australia's former chair, and a founding ambassador, and his appointment to these positions has been harmful to the values and reputation of our organisation.' Ms March said 'real change' had to come from 'everyday men - dads, brothers, mates, co-workers and the women who support and influence them'. Addressing the scourge of domestic violence in Australia would require 'having honest conversations, challenging harmful behaviours, and taking responsibility'. 'That is where the movement lives now, and that is where our focus must stay,' Ms March said. White Ribbon's press release ended by acknowledging the main victim of O'Keefe's offending and with a final note of hope for the future. It added: 'We also wish him well in his journey towards recovery and healing.'
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE How I shamed Andrew O'Keefe into doing the decent thing. Finally he's listened at last…but it can never erase what he's already done
A leading campaigner against domestic violence who called on Andrew O'Keefe to return his Order of Australia has welcomed the disgraced game show host's decision to hand back the honour. O'Keefe was convicted in January last year of assaulting a woman he called a 'lying dog' and a 'c***' during an attack described by a magistrate as 'degrading'. The former Deal or No Deal and The Chase Australia presenter then pleaded guilty in October to trespassing, possessing meth, and breaching a restraining order. O'Keefe was a founding member and chairman of White Ribbon Australia, an organisation dedicated to the prevention of violence against women. He was named in the 2017 Australia Day honours list as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). The only higher accolades in the system are Officer (AO) or Companion (AC) of the Order. Onetime federal MP and Australian Rules great Phil Cleary has campaigned to stop male violence against women since his sister Vicki was murdered in 1987 by an ex-partner. Mr Cleary got to know O'Keefe through White Ribbon and in January, he told Daily Mail Australia the fallen Weekend Sunrise presenter should return his AM if he wanted to show remorse. 'I think if he wanted to reclaim his standing, he probably should resign the position and then try to regain our trust,' Mr Cleary said. 'If I was speaking to Andrew, I would be saying the first thing you should be doing is coming out and apologising for what you've done. 'I believe in compassion and redemption but Andrew is in a position at the moment where he has damaged the campaign and he needs to apologise.' The Secretary of the Order of Australia has now announced on the Federal Register of Legislation that O'Keefe has acted in line with Mr Cleary's advice. A notice states the Governor-General, Sam Mostyn, has accepted O'Keefe's resignation as a Member of the Order of Australia with effect from June 4. Mr Cleary welcomed O'Keefe's decision to return his AM and described the move as 'significant'. 'It's important that he has done this,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'There are men everywhere who refuse to apologise and are feted by the "boys' club" in the face of allegations or convictions for violence against women. 'By handing back his AM, O'Keefe has set a standard for other men convicted of acts of violence or coercive behaviour towards a woman. 'I'm glad that he has done this.' The Council of the Order of Australia previously confirmed it had received complaints from members of the public about O'Keefe holding the honour. 'Issues have been raised over Mr O'Keefe's AM, therefore, in line with the process, they are under consideration,' a council spokesman said in October. O'Keefe's AM was in recognition of 'significant service to the broadcast media as a television presenter, and to social welfare and charitable organisations'. The 53-year-old, who has a long history of substance abuse, last faced court in February, after being warned by a magistrate another criminal conviction would result in him going to jail. He had flown back to Australia after a stint in drug rehab overseas to plead guilty to having driven with meth in his system more than six months earlier. Waverley Local Court heard O'Keefe had been the subject of a conditional release order for a previous drug-driving offence when he was arrested again on July 28, 2024. He was pulled over for random testing on Cranbrook Road in Rose Bay about 11.30am that day and recorded a positive result but was not charged until late November. The gap in time between the offence happening and O'Keefe being charged was because of delays in the crime lab. On February 7, O'Keefe was convicted and fined $440 for drug-driving and disqualified from getting behind the wheel for six months. Shortly before being pulled over on July 28, O'Keefe had confronted a man at a Point Piper property he was banned from attending. He was released on bail but arrested again at Rose Bay police station in September when police found crystal methamphetamine in his car during a search. Two days earlier O'Keefe had overdosed on heroin at a party and needed to be revived by paramedics. In October, Waverley Local Court magistrate Jacqueline Milledge sentenced O'Keefe to a 30-month community corrections order for breaching an apprehended violence order. He was also fined $1,000 for possessing a prohibited drug and $500 for trespassing, as well as being made the subject of a two-year AVO to protect a person who cannot be identified. Ms Milledge told O'Keefe he was facing time behind bars if he reoffended. 'I know domestic violence is a factor in your offending and that is awful, truly awful,' she said. 'You got into the grip of something awful and the wheels fell off.' At the time, O'Keefe's lawyer told Ms Milledge: 'This, Your Honour, is what we say is the final crossroads.' O'Keefe was found guilty in January last year of domestic violence offences over the September 2021 attack on a woman he had called a 'lying dog' and a 'c***'. He was convicted in Downing Centre Local Court of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault, contravening an AVO, and possessing prohibited drugs. Magistrate Alison Viney described O'Keefe kicking, spitting, scratching and otherwise assaulting the woman, who cannot be named, as a 'violent and degrading' assault. O'Keefe was ordered to serve 18 months on a community corrections order and fined $800 for the drug offences, which related to cannabis and the synthetic stimulant mephedrone. The drug convictions were later quashed but O'Keefe lost an appeal against the assault convictions in September. O'Keefe faced six charges after he allegedly punched, kicked and choked another woman in January 2022, but by the time the matter was heard the alleged victim had left the country. Having pleaded not guilty - claiming he acted in self-defence - charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and choking were withdrawn in February 2023 at Downing Centre Local Court. O'Keefe previously avoided convictions for assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in June 2021 when those charges were dealt with under mental health provisions of the law. Magistrate Ross Hudson heard O'Keefe suffered from bipolar disorder and was in a 'hypomanic' state when he spat at, slapped and kicked a woman in January 2021. There are precedents for Order of Australia recipients returning an honour voluntarily if they feel they no longer deserved the award. Former High Court judge Dyson Heydon handed over his AC in 2022 following a 2020 inquiry which found he had sexually harassed junior staff members. TV presenter and businessman Steve Vizard gave back his AM in 2008 after being fined $390,000 and banned from being a company director for insider trading. 'I did it because it is the right thing to do,' Vizard said at the time.
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Disgraced TV star Andrew O'Keefe suffers another devastating blow in the wake of legal dramas
Former Channel 7 star Andrew O'Keefe has been stripped of his Order of Australia after a flood of complaints were made that he still had the honour following his assault and drug convictions. More to follow.
Daily Mail
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Andrew O'Keefe cuts a colourful figure as he steps out for a cigarette in Bondi...after the disgraced former Seven star was ordered to enter rehab
Disgraced former Channel Seven star Andrew O'Keefe cut a very eye-catching figure in Sydney this week. The former Deal or No Deal host, 53, was spotted out and about in Bondi on Friday. Not wanting to hide his sartorial light under a bushel, O'Keefe put on a very colourful display in a multicoloured animal print jacket. He matched the quirky garment with a pair of bone-coloured chinos as well as a pair of sky blue sneakers that he wore over ruby red socks. Keeping the theme going, O'Keefe finished his ensemble with a pair of lime green-framed sunglasses. He accessorised with a beige crossbody bag. As he perched outside a unit block on the suburban street to smoke a cigarette, Andrew appeared completely engrossed in his phone. O'Keefe has waged a public battle against drug addiction and been in and out of rehabilitation centres for the past few years. He faced Waverley Local Court in February to plead guilty to driving with meth in his system but escaped with a $440 fine and a disqualification from driving for six months. The former Deal or No Deal host tested positive to meth while driving his Mercedes C200 in Sydney's eastern suburbs on July 28 last year. O'Keefe appeared relaxed and refreshed after three months overseas in rehab and chatted happily with lawyers and police while waiting to have his matter heard. His solicitor Jahan Kalantar told the court his client accepted he had a poor traffic record and had spent a substantial period of time struggling with his illicit drug abuse. Mr Kalantar said O'Keefe had taken serious steps to address his drug problems and produced evidence he had spent three months as an in-patient at a rehab facility. The disgraced ex-TV star pleaded guilty in October to trespassing, breaching an an apprehended violence order and meth possession. Shortly before O'Keefe was pulled over on July 28, he had confronted a man at a Point Piper property he was banned from attending. He faced Waverley Local Court in February to plead guilty to driving with meth in his system but escaped with a $440 fine and a disqualification from driving for six months Magistrate Michael Barko read a letter of apology O'Keefe wrote to the court, which he accepted as being 'sincere and genuine'. 'I can assure you the next step is jail. I'm not just saying that, I absolutely mean it,' he told the disgraced Seven star. O'Keefe was released on bail after appearing in Waverley Local Court but was arrested again at Rose Bay police station in September when police found meth in his car during a search. Two days earlier, O'Keefe had overdosed on heroin at a party and needed to be revived by paramedics. Elisha Dalah, 38, performed CPR to save O'Keefe after supplying him with the heroin that led to the overdose at his Vaucluse home in Sydney's eastern suburbs on September 14 last year. Dalah's millionaire father, Michael, who is a former co-owner of Elizabeth Bay Marina, has spoken out after harrowing details of the incident emerged. The Sydney socialite cleaned vomit from the disgraced TV star's nose and mouth, and gave him Narcan, a drug which counteracts the effects of heroin before O'Keefe was taken to St Vincent's Hospital. Magistrate Milledge previously told O'Keefe that his life had 'just completely gone off the rails' and it was his responsibility to fix it Dalah pleaded guilty to supplying heroin and was ordered to undertake a rehabilitation program. Meanwhile, O'Keefe was fined $1,500 and handed a 30-month community corrections order which required him to attend rehab. Magistrate Milledge said his life had 'just completely gone off the rails' and it was his responsibility to fix it. 'I know domestic violence is a factor in your offending and that is awful, truly awful,' she said. 'You got into the grip of something awful and the wheels fell off.' He was found guilty in January last year of domestic violence and drug offences after a 'degrading' attack on a woman who cannot be identified. The drug conviction was later quashed but O'Keefe lost an appeal against the assault convictions in August. He has an annual income of more than $300,000 despite not having appeared on television for more than four years. The former presenter of The Chase Australia and Weekend Sunrise is paid $26,000 a month 'through insurance', according to court documents obtained by Daily Mail Australia. O'Keefe spends about $17,000 of that sum on tax and supporting his two youngest children, leaving him with approximately $9,000 a month or $2,250 a week. It is not known what the insurance payments are for but they equate to $312,000 - or $108,000 once deductions are made - a year. O'Keefe's income, which is still dwarfed by the millions of dollars he made from television, was outlined in a statement of facts tendered in Sydney's Waverley Local Court on Friday. His contract with the Seven Network was not renewed at the end of 2020 amid concerns over his erratic behaviour and domestic violence charges. 'Seven is obviously very concerned to read the reports regarding Andrew O'Keefe,' a spokesman said in February 2021. 'Seven has had a 17-year relationship with Andrew across a number of programs, although he is no longer with the network.'
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Millionaire father of troubled socialite who saved Andrew O'Keefe from heroin overdose opens up on his daughter's 'demons' as she goes through rehab
The father of a Sydney socialite who raced to save Andrew O'Keefe after a heroin overdose says he will continue to stand by his troubled daughter. Elisha Dalah, 38, performed CPR to save the former Deal or No Deal host after supplying him with the heroin that led to the overdose at O'Keefe's Vaucluse home in Sydney's eastern suburbs on September 14 last year. Dalah's father, Michael, who is a former co-owner of Elizabeth Bay Marina, has spoken out after harrowing details about O'Keefe's overdose emerged. The Sydney socialite cleaned vomit from the disgraced TV star's nose and mouth, and gave him Narcan, a drug which counteracts the effects of heroin before O'Keefe was taken to St Vincent's Hospital. Dalah's family have said O'Keefe's overdose has been a wake-up call for the socialite. She pleaded guilty to supplying heroin and was ordered to undertake a rehabilitation program last month after spending almost five months in custody while awaiting sentencing. 'She's in rehab at the moment and has to go by court order every day and it's doing her good, she's very vulnerable at the moment,' Michael told the Daily Telegraph. 'She got a big lesson from it (O'Keefe) and hopefully she is on the mend. It's a very sad illness and what happened has had an impact, and she's learning life must go on. 'As a family we hope and pray she is on the mend, that she can redeem herself from this terrible disease. She needs good friends. Michael, who is considered one of Australia's largest private property owners, said he would give his daughter all the money he had if it would help. He said the family is extremely worried about his daughter and described her battle with addiction as a 'demon in her'. The socialite hails from an elite eastern suburbs family and is the elder sibling of Fishbowl founder Nathan, who is married to Victoria Secret model Georgia Fowler. According to court documents, Dalah admitted to police that she and O'Keefe had consumed cocaine and heroin earlier that day. 'This is my fault,' Dalah told police following the overdose of O'Keefe, who was told he was 'lucky to be alive'. Speaking in Downing Centre Local Court in April, Magistrate Rosheehan O'Meagher said a message needed to be sent to the community regarding the 'seriousness of the offence'. 'The maximum penalty for this offence in the district court is 15 years in prison, in the local court it is capped at two years,' she said. 'That shows you how serious an offence this is and it is treated as so because of the serious consequences of drug supply in terms of serious health implications, which I am sure you are aware of.' Ms Dalah was ordered to undertake a rehabilitation program 'for as long as possible'. 'You've learnt some things, but looking at your record, we need you to get the message that if you keep offending you will end up in jail, and I don't think that's a life you want for yourself,' Magistrate O'Meagher said. Dalah lives in the annex of her parents' $17million home in the same street in Point Piper as former Prime Minister Malcom Turnball. She works as a barista at her family-owned business Laissez-Faire Catering in the city's Alexandria. In 2023, Dalah she narrowly escaped jail after pleading guilty to thieving luxury face creams and designer clothing from a Westfield shopping centre a year prior. The socialite was handed a 20-month intensive correction order and 200 hours of community service after She was also fined $500 for entering Westfield Bondi Junction while banned. O'Keefe has suffered a public battle against drug addiction and been in and out of rehabilitation centres for the past few years. He faced Waverley Local Court in February to plead guilty to driving with meth in his system but escaped with a $440 fine. The former Deal or No Deal host tested positive to meth while driving his Mercedes C200 in Sydney's eastern suburbs on July 28 last year. O'Keefe was convicted and fined $440 for drug-driving and disqualified from getting behind the wheel for six months. The disgraced ex-TV star pleaded guilty in October to trespassing, breaching an an apprehended violence order and meth possession. He was fined $1,500 and handed a 30-month community corrections order which required him to attend rehab. At the same time, he was fined $2,000 for driving with an illicit drug in his system at Darlinghurst in April and disqualified from getting behind the wheel for three months.
