Fallen TV personality Andrew O’Keefe is back behind bars after being arrested for allegedly violating the terms of a restraining order issued to protect an ex-partner.
His latest arrest late Saturday night marks yet another shocking new low for the 51-year-old father of three, who has a long history of substance abuse, especially involving the drug ice cream, but also cocaine and marijuana.
The former Deal or No Deal presenter who filled in on Seven’s Sunrise was once one of Australia’s most popular television presenters. His sad decline is believed to have started when he was filmed drunk and passed out on the street in Melbourne in 2009.
In 2022, it was time for his 10th stint in rehab, this time at Connect Global, a rehabilitation center near Newcastle, NSW, run by Ross Pene.
The Pentacostal Christian pastor is a member of the C3 Spectrum Church in Anna Bay and the Longriders Christian Motorcycle Club.
O’Keefe’s presence at the center for six to 12 months was part of his bail conditions imposed by the Supreme Court.
He also had to take the prescribed medication and continue to see a psychiatrist and psychologist.
Troubled television star Andrew O’Keefe has been on a downward spiral since leaving Connect Global rehabilitation clinic on NSW’s mid-north coast
Located next to Swan Bay on NSW’s central coast, Connect Global has ‘a generous nature-filled space with a swimming pool, tennis courts, half a basketball court, fishing, cycling and various other indoor and outdoor activities’
Another resident of the retreat at the same time as O’Keefe has revealed that he “encouraged” others and really threw himself into “working” with the program.
O’Keefe was stripped of the trappings of downtown fame and celebrity and instead took on the role of the humble camp cleaner.
The all-male retreat at Swan Bay promotes a “five-step process of getting life back on track,” focusing on “masculinity, fatherhood, family, workplace and community.”
The resident added that O’Keefe was a “leader” at the center and could always take charge of a room full of people with different personalities.
“He’d had a few recoveries before, so living among guys from different backgrounds and circumstances was something I think he handled well,” said the resident.
The facility provides clients with structure and routine in a safe, all-male environment that offers tennis, fishing, and strength training, with a strong focus on prayer.
A Connect Global resident starts his day at 5:30 am by looking in the mirror and telling himself he is a ‘good man’.
The center has 19 participants at any one time, who undergo a personalized recovery program as well as a variety of recreational activities.
Real estate agent Matthew Brian Ramsay, who is accused of stabbing a woman in her Dover Heights home in 2022, was also with Global Connect at the same time to help overcome mental health and addiction issues.
Bikie boss Matty Douet, who is accused of being involved in running a multimillion-dollar cocaine syndicate, was also at the center at the same time.
Participants in the Connect Global program participate in weightlifting programs as part of their personal development
Various outdoor activities are offered to patients staying at Global Connect
The center has “a lavish nature-filled space with a swimming pool, tennis courts, half a basketball court, fishing, biking, and various other indoor and outdoor activities.”
However, O’Keefe’s departure after a six-month stay from May 2022 to November 2022 didn’t work, and he entered a downward spiral that continues to cause problems today.
O’Keefe’s was arrested around 11:30 p.m. Saturday at a home in Sydney’s exclusive eastern suburbs.
“Officers visited a unit on Longworth Avenue, Point Piper, following reports that a 51-year-old man was at the unit in violation of a warrant of arrest,” NSW Police said in a statement.
In January, he was charged and had his driver’s license revoked after allegedly failing a random roadside drug test in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Dumped by the Seven network in 2021 after a series of chaotic alleged incidents, O’Keefe was charged with assault and suffocation in January 2022.
Police say O’Keefe grabbed a 38-year-old woman by the throat, pushed her to the ground and punched and kicked her in his Sydney CBD unit.
He denied all charges except drug possession and claimed he acted in self-defense.