From a backstreet massage to the comeback of the year: Andrew O’Keefe finds an unlikely ally after his fall from grace – and one bold prediction has already come true

Publicist Max Markson knows better than anyone that showbiz is all about timing.

That is why we noted with interest his bold statement last Thursday, that walking cautionary tale Andrew O’Keefe not only could – but would – reviving his shattered career and getting himself ‘back into the spotlight’.

Lo and behold, the prescient agent’s words came true the next day when O’Keefe was indeed back in the spotlight – although perhaps not in the way Markson expected, with the Inside Mail colleague. Stephen Gibbs which revealed that the one-time game show host had been arrested again for drunk driving.

The ever-positive Markson still believes he can rehabilitate the disgraced former Weekend Sunrise presenter, who has a string of convictions for domestic abuse and drug-related offences, and spends more time in court than Judge Judy – in between back-alley massages .

It seems like quite a task to us, but the irrepressible optimist is not deterred.

‘I still honestly believe that Andrew will come back. He will be back and he has a big future ahead of him,” Markson said.

And while he doesn’t have an AOK on the books (yet), the original super agent said he was more than happy to weave his personal brand of magic to the former star’s shattered reputation.

“Of course I’m happy to work with him… I think there’s a lot of potential there, and if he wanted me to help him, I would.”

Deal or no deal? Andrew O’Keefe explores the services offered at Miss Massage in Bondi (left) and at the Logie Awards with Sam Armytage before his career was derailed (right)

Publicity superior Max Markson (pictured) boldly declared that former Deal or No Deal presenter Andrew O’Keefe’s career is not over

Sign him up, AOK.

After all, when it comes to reputation saving, the unstoppable spruiker is hands down one of the best in the business.

Just look at his astonishing achievements as a convicted drug runner, former call girl and serial revisionist Cassie Sainsbury decided to write a book about the real story behind her ill-fated 5.8kg cocaine smuggling in the Colombian capital Bogota.

Which, perhaps unsurprisingly, was unlike any other real story she had sold to Nine’s 60 Minutes and Seven’s Spotlight since she was arrested at the infamous El Buen Pastor women’s prison in April 2017.

Markson helped provide sympathetic interviews with news programs on all the free-to-air networks, as well as the breakfast shows Sunrise and Today, along with The Project.

Even ABC and Sky got involved.

None of them questioned Sainsbury about her ever-evolving story, changing cast of characters and selfish claims of victimhood – although there were plenty of plugs for her books and the oversized cover images.

Andrew O’Keefe melted live on air during Weekend Sunrise in 2017

The proceeds of crime and truth be damned: there are ratings to be gained.

Besides, if you can’t trust a convicted drug runner to tell you the truth on the seventh try, who can you trust in this crazy, messed up world? If Sainsbury says she’s the real victim, then she’s the real victim.

Now Markson doesn’t make up the stories, he just sells them – and he’s proven himself to be a real salesman.

If anyone can turn O’Keefe’s fortunes around, it’s him.