Andrew O’Keefe appeared upbeat outside court on Tuesday, even joking with journalists that he ‘can’t stay away from the place’.
It was perhaps no wonder the former Deal or No Deal host was in a good mood as he had just avoided a criminal conviction for being caught driving with a suspended licence at Sydney’s Downing Centre local court.
But the troubled ex-TV star cut a forlorn figure after the cameras stopped rolling.
O’Keefe, 52, appeared downcast as he stopped for a rest on a stone bench in a park in Paddington in the city’s Eastern Suburbs.
The former Chase Australia host, who was wearing a checked turquoise suit paired with a tie and socks in differing shades of blue, dabbed at his sweaty brow with a handkerchief.
The fallen star sipped on a fizzy Lucozade as he stared off into the distance.
At one point, he appeared to spit dejectedly into the grass at his feet.
It was a far cry from his heights as host of shows like Weekend Sunrise and The Rich List.
Andrew O’Keefe initially appeared upbeat outside court on Tuesday after recording a small court win. But the troubled ex-TV star cut a forlorn figure after the cameras stopped rolling
O’Keefe, 52, appeared downcast as he stopped for a rest on a stone bench in a park in Paddington in the city’s Eastern Suburbs
The former Chase Australia host, who was wearing a checked turquiose suit pared with a tie and socks in differing shades of blue, dabbed at his sweaty brow with a handkerchief
O’Keefe represented himself in court on Tuesday where he successfully convinced the magistrate that he was on his way to have his licence reinstated when police pulled him over on June 20 and did not believe he was breaking the law.
He told reporters he’d been dealing with ‘a reasonable magistrate, which is always good’.
Despite his court win, Magistrate Michael Allen noted O’Keefe’s well-documented criminal history, including convictions for domestic violence and drug possession, which he is currently appealing.
‘The sad reality is you’re no stranger to this place, albeit for more serious offending’.’ Mr Allen told him.
‘It is serious that at the time of this more minor offence you were subject to conditional liberty, and that is a factor I’m obliged to take into account.’
Judge Allen did not convict O’Keefe of the offence, and instead sentenced him to a 12-month conditional release order, a form of conditional liberty.
The fallen star sipped on a fizzy Lucozade as he stared off into the distance
At one point, he appeared to spit dejectedly into the grass at his feet
Asked if he thought his career was on the turn, O’Keefe told reporters: ‘Well, I hope so, there’s a bit to go but we’ll find out shortly.
‘I’ll see you (at court) again tomorrow,’ he said.
He faces charges of driving while suspended and of intimidation following an unrelated incident last month.
O’Keefe is yet to enter any pleas but will also reappear before the court on August 28 to learn his fate after appealing a string of DV and drug-related offences.
Police officers stopped the 52-year-old on Cranbrook Road in Sydney‘s affluent suburb of Bellevue Hill at 11.45am on Sunday 28 July after he allegedly appeared ‘drug-affected’ behind the wheel of a Mercedes sedan.
He returned a positive roadside test and officers discovered an ice pipe in his jacket pocket. O’Keefe denied it was his, and Daily Mail Australia does not suggest otherwise.
Andrew O’Keefe appeared upbeat outside court on Tuesday, even joking with journalists that he ‘can’t stay away from the place’
But he still has many legal woes to overcome
The former quiz show king’s fall from grace and very public battle with addiction – which has seen him go into rehabilitation more than ten times – is a tale all too depressingly familiar to Andrea Simmons.
The former millionaire, who lost her family, her wealth and her health to meth addiction before beating it and founding a recovery program, said she wanted to offer O’Keefe help.
‘I would love the opportunity to talk with Andrew, to give it a shot because I have a high success rate of being able to cut through the mess,’ Ms Simmons told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I would love to see him restored. I honestly hate seeing people fall from glory like that. I know how to fight that fight and I feel like I can help him.’
Ms Simmons likened O’Keefe to AFL star Ben Cousins who overcame his own very public battles with addiction and brushes with the law to land a spot presenting with Channel Seven.
The former quiz show king’s fall from grace and very public battle with addiction is a tale all too depressingly familiar to Andrea Simmons, who has called for him to reach out and seek help
Ms Simmons (pictured) lost everything to ice addiction and was reduced to a petty thief who scavenged discarded cigarette butts. But she overcame it – and she believes O’Keefe can too
The campaigner, who dedicates all of her time to teaching in schools, youth detention centres and prisons to warn youngsters of the dangers of addiction, said she knew O’Keefe was ‘hurting’.
‘Being in the limelight for things like drugs and being caught by the police, having court cases, I’m sure he’s hurting,’ she said.
‘He’s suffering from loss of family, embarrassment, depression. I know the journey and it doesn’t have to be like that.’
Simmons still believes O’Keefe can find redemption from his troubles.
‘The road back after falling from grace like Andrew has is extremely difficult,’ Ms Simmons said.
‘You’re fighting your own demons internally. Feeling like a failure, asking, “Who am I? What did I do?” I’ve given drugs to women with kids. Where are they now?’
But Ms Simmons said the only way to recovery was to reserve judgement.
‘Everybody can fall off their perch tomorrow in the blink of an eye,’ she said.
‘Who are we to judge? Shouldn’t we be helping one another get up again?
‘I really want to go and sit with Andrew and reflect to him who he really is.
‘He’s somebody that has had a beautiful career. He’s somebody that has impacted so many lives and he can get that back. Just because he’s made a mistake doesn’t mean that he failed.
‘He can get back up on top of the horse.’
O’Keefe declined to comment.
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