Fallen TV star Andrew O’Keefe’s fame could make him ‘vulnerable’ in prison, with prisoners potentially targeting him for their personal gain, an expert has said.
O’Keefe is behind bars at the Metropolitan Remand Center in Sydney’s infamous Silverwater prison after he was charged with breaching bail and drug possession when police allegedly found methamphetamine in his car on September 16 when he reported to police. Rose Bay Police Station in Sydney as part of previous bail conditions.
The 52-year-old had survived a heroin overdose just two days earlier when he was resuscitated by paramedics at a home in Vaucluse early on Saturday morning and treated at St Vincent’s Hospital.
The father of three will remain behind bars until at least October 10, when he is due to appear in court on the drug charge and recent charges of intimidation and AVO fraud.
His lawyer indicated he could use that hearing to make a release application conditional on the availability of a rehabilitation place, but Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge responded that he had “been there, done that.”
O’Keefe was one of Channel 7’s biggest stars as host of Deal or No Deal, Weekend Sunrise and The Chase Australia, earning up to $800,000 a year until his contract expired and a subsequent series of legal problems derailed his career.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal the 52-year-old’s celebrity status has not afforded him any luxury or special privileges.
Instead, he has become a constant target of vicious taunts from the other accused criminals who call the center home, with prison insiders revealing inmates take every opportunity to taunt the former Deal or No Deal presenter over his tragic downfall .
Fallen TV star Andrew O’Keefe’s fame could leave him ‘vulnerable’ in prison to fellow inmates who would target him for their personal gain, an expert has said. (O’Keefe is pictured at his Sydney flat in 2023)
Sources said a group of inmates were particularly ruthless, crossing their arms over their faces every time they saw O’Keefe in the prison yard shouting “No Deal!” shouted. with him.
Despite the ongoing bullying, O’Keefe has made no formal complaints about his treatment at the centre. He prefers to keep a low profile and to himself as much as possible.
Prison officials have not deemed the row serious enough to separate the fallen Channel Seven star, who shares a two-bed cell with another inmate at the centre, from the general population or offer him protective custody.
When he was last in the custody center two years ago, O’Keefe claims prison guards teased him about his fall from grace, prompting guards to accuse the former lawyer of being a “demanding prima donna.”
But this time there is no animosity between O’Keefe and his caretakers, with the guards noting that the former TV presenter was much more subdued about his tragic demise.
“The last time he was here he was assertive, entitled and arrogant,” a prison source within Silverwater told Daily Mail Australia.
‘This time he’s just very quiet and stays to himself.
‘We haven’t had any problems with him. It’s actually a bit sad to see him like this.’
Criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro said O’Keefe’s celebrity could be a disadvantage to him in custody.
“I’ve had high-profile clients over the years, white-collar criminals, who are seen as easy targets… seen by people as having money and that makes them quite vulnerable,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
Andrew O’Keefe during his time as host of the hit game show Deal or No Deal
Dr. Watson-Munro said how other inmates behaved toward O’Keefe would depend on the impression he makes, but because he is well-known, it would be difficult for him to keep a low profile.
“How people are treated in prison depends on the individual and the nature of their crime,” he said.
‘Prisons are full of men who have breached AVOs… Some newly incarcerated people may end up in protective custody… others have long-standing criminal acquaintances.
“Having fame would certainly make him a target.
“Prisoners might try to be above people where they can see there is a benefit to themselves – whether that be financial, social or political.”
In a notable recent example, former NRL player Jarryd Hayne was allegedly scammed out of $780,000 by a fellow inmate while behind bars.
Fast-talking fraudster Ishan Seenar Sappideen – who was serving a sentence for a $4.6 million Ponzi scheme – convinced Hayne and five other inmates that he had made millions of dollars investing.
Because prisoners had no online access, the money would be transferred by people outside the prison directly to accounts controlled by Sappideen contacts.
Sappideen was released early last month on conditions so that he could be monitored. Some of those he allegedly defrauded had links to motorcycle gangs and crime networks.
Fallen Channel Seven star Andrew O’Keefe was arrested on September 16 for allegedly breaching his bail after presenting himself at a Sydney police station (above)
O’Keefe’s contract with the Seven Network expired in 2020 and was not renewed amid industry concerns that his wild parties were getting out of hand.
His marriage had failed and he had been taken off Weekend Sunrise duties a few years earlier.
His legal troubles since leaving Seven include multiple charges of drug possession or drug driving.
Last week, O’Keefe lost an appeal against domestic violence convictions after a judge disagreed that the victim’s injuries were self-inflicted.
O’Keefe had pushed a woman, punched her, pushed her to the ground, kicked her thigh and scratched her chest during an argument in 2021.
He was found guilty of common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and breaching an apprehended violence order.
O’Keefe was then seen walking out of the rear exit of the station, accompanied by three officers wearing latex gloves who took him into the back of a police car.
Despite the conviction, he had avoided any serious stint behind bars until recently.
Judge Milledge said O’Keefe’s demise was ‘very, very sad’ and he was lucky to be alive after his overdose.
She added that prison “might be the best thing he can do… if he wants to stay alive.”
“The mental health and drug rehabilitation applications have all been tried and failed.
“God help him… It’s a shame he doesn’t have an epiphany,” she said.
O’Keefe’s spartan prison cell includes a metal bunk bed, an open steel toilet, a jug and a sandwich maker, but little else.
He is taken out of bed every day at 7am to ‘let loose’ – when he is given a ‘breakfast pack’ from prison, consisting of milk, bread, cereal and jam, and is then free to roam the garden wander or watch a shared TV in the common area. room with the center’s other accused criminals.
The former star is allowed to exercise in the prison courtyard every day before being locked in his cell between 3pm and 7am.
The 52-year-old is currently sharing a cell at the Silverwater Prison Detention Center in Sydney
There are roll calls at 9 a.m. and noon, when O’Keefe and his cronies get their “packed lunch,” usually consisting of a sandwich and a piece of fruit.
All meals are eaten in the prisoners’ cells before they are locked up from 3pm and not allowed out again until the next morning.
His dinner is warmed up with a cooling pack and given to him at 3 p.m. It is the only hot meal O’Keefe eats during the day.
During his long nights locked up with his cellmate, O’Keefe has access to a tablet computer where he can pay to watch TV or play card games like solitaire, but he has no access to the internet.
Although he is allowed to purchase treats and additional groceries, he is allowed to spend a total of $150 at the prison store each month.
