Disgraced TV presenter Andrew O'Keefe arrested again for breaching bail after surviving heroin overdose

On Monday afternoon (September 16), O'Keefe was arrested and taken into custody for breaching his bail conditions.

The 53-year-old was subsequently taken to a local police station, where he spent the night, before a court appearance on Tuesday (September 17), according to the Daily Telegraph. O'Keefe, who is Australian, is the former host of many TV shows including the Aussie version of quiz show The Chase, on which he starred with British Chasers, ‘The Governess’ Anne Hegerty and ‘The Beast’ Mark Labbett.

On Saturday (September 14) emergency crews were called to Vaucluse, an affluent area in Sydney, in response to concerns about the the embattled star’s welfare. The paramedics revived him at the scene at around 3.40am before taking him to a nearby hospital in a stable condition. He has since been discharged.

In court on Tuesday, a magistrate told O’Keefe that jail might be the best place for him “if he wants to stay alive”. “I shake my head,” magistrate Jacqueline Milledge also commenting, telling him that he was “lucky to be alive” after the heroin overdose.

Police have alleged that during the search of a nearby vehicle after the incident on Saturday night they discovered prohibited drugs, which have been sent away for further analysis. According to court documents, O'Keefe is alleged to have been in possession of crystal methamphetamine.

He was charged with a breach of his bail conditions and possessing a prohibited drug , and was refused bail and told to appear in court on Tuesday. O'Keefe was not present in court and his solicitor did not make a new application for bail during the court hearing, meaning the former TV star will remain remanded in custody.

“If he wants to stay alive that's the best thing to do,” Milledge said. The court was told he may make a bail application, to be released into a rehabilitation facility, when he returns to court on Thursday October 10. Milledge described the case as “absolutely tragic” and “absolutely sad”.

In July, O’Keefe avoided jail for common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. This came following an incident in which he forcefully pushed an unidentified woman against a doorway, causing injuries to her hand and wrist in September 2021.

It was back in January that the former TV host was found guilty of assaulting the woman and spitting at her by a magistrate at Sydney Downing Centre Local Court. He was also found guilty of drug possession and violating an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO), a court order designed to protect someone from violence, harassment, intimidation or other forms of threatening behaviour.

Although O'Keefe avoided a prison sentence he was ordered to serve 18 months on a community corrections order for his offences. The court was told he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar affective disorder, for which he requires daily medication.

The former TV star was also found guilty of being in possession of two illegal drugs, which were found in his apartment when he was arrested two days after the assault. He was fined $800 (around £622) after being convicted.

The breach of bail charge relates to allegations he threatened a man shortly before he was stopped while driving and found to allegedly be in possession of a crack pipe. Those matters will be heard alongside the fresh bail and drug charges on October 10.

Earlier this month, O’Keefe lost an appeal against his convictions over the assault and sentenced to a 12-month and three 18-month community corrections orders. Outside court, O’Keefe told journalists he was “very disappointed” with the judgment but he wouldn’t continue to fight it.