Andrew O'Keefe

Andrew Patrick O'Keefe AM (born 1 October 1971) is an Australian entertainer and former lawyer, best known for being the host of the game show Deal or No Deal. He was also the co-host of Weekend Sunrise alongside Monique Wright between 2006 and 2017. In 2015, he was announced as the host of The Chase Australia.

For the railway engineer, see Andrew O'Keefe (engineer).

Andrew O'Keefe
O'Keefe in 2006
Born (1971-10-01) 1 October 1971
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Other namesA.O.K
EducationSaint Ignatius College, Riverview
Years active2003–present
EmployerSeven Network
Known for
Spouse(s)Eleanor O'Keefe
Children3

O'Keefe worked as an intellectual property lawyer with Australian law firm Allens Arthur Robinson and, for a short time, with the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in Sydney.

Television career

O'Keefe first started his television career in 2003, starring in Channel Seven's AFI-nominated sketch show Big Bite. Later the same year he began hosting Deal or No Deal.

In 2001, he was a member of the Australian Theatresports team that won the Just for Laughs Improv Tournament at the Montreal Comedy Festival. He played Theatresports most Sunday nights at the Belvoir Street Theatre in Sydney, winning a Cranston Cup series with two-man team Dirty Harry's Bathwater.

In 2005, O'Keefe co-hosted the historic tri-network tsunami appeal Reach Out with fellow presenters Eddie McGuire and Rove McManus on three commercial networks Seven, Nine and Ten. The appeal raised over $20 million for tsunami relief efforts around Asia. The event was such a success that the three teamed up the following year to host the Logie awards. In that same year, he hosted the short-lived Dragons Den.

From 2007 until 2009, O'Keefe hosted the quiz show The Rich List and, between 2006 and 2017, took the helm of Weekend Sunrise, which he presented on Saturday and Sunday mornings with journalist Monique Wright.[1] In addition he regularly substituted for David Koch on Sunrise. He presented the program for two weeks whilst Koch was on holidays during the summer period of 2013 alongside his former Weekend Sunrise co-host Samantha Armytage. He no longer fills in on weekdays due to his commitments with The Chase Australia.

On 31 May 2013, O'Keefe commenced playing the role of King Herod in the Australian tour of the Jesus Christ Superstar arena show[2] and received "rave" reviews.[3] However, on 14 June 2013, he was admitted to hospital with a serious neck injury requiring surgery, and was forced to relinquish the role for the rest of the tour. O'Keefe believed the injury was aggravated during a performance of the show.[3]

In 2015 O'Keefe began presenting Seven's new game show, The Chase Australia, which replaced struggling game shows Deal or No Deal which he hosted, and Million Dollar Minute in the 5:00pm timeslot.[4]

In December 2017, O'Keefe announced his resignation as co-host of Weekend Sunrise after 12 years with the show.[5][6]

Community and charity work

O'Keefe is a past chairman of the White Ribbon Foundation in Australia, an organisation dedicated to the prevention of violence against women.[7] He was one of the founding members of the campaign in Australia and has been an ambassador since 2004. The campaign is active in schools, workplaces, sports clubs, councils and other community organisations, and seeks to rally men and boys as leaders in the fight against violence.[8]

As a result of his work with the Foundation, O'Keefe was appointed to the inaugural National Council for the Prevention of Violence Against Women, which drafted the report Time for Action: Australia's National Plan for Reducing Violence Against Women and their Children on behalf of the federal government.[9]

Honours

In January 2017 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his television and charity work.[10]

Personal life

O'Keefe is one of five children.[11] His father was Barry O'Keefe, a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. He is a nephew of the Australian rock and roll singer Johnny O'Keefe and brother of University of Cambridge international lawyer Roger O'Keefe.[12][13]

He attended Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview, and then studied arts and law at the University of Sydney,[13] where he was heavily involved in theatre sports and faculty revues.

He has an AMusA diploma in classical singing (baritone), was the frontman for several Sydney bands in the 1990s and plays trumpet and piano.

He is also a keen swimmer and swims most days "to clear the cobwebs".[13]

O'Keefe was married to Eleanor, a social worker, and together they have three children. In 2017 the couple separated and in 2019 they divorced.[11][14]

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References
  1. Seven Network's Andrew O'Keefe | The Telegraph 22 November 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2013
  2. Australian tour of Jesus Christ Superstar kicks off in Perth | WA Today 27 February 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013
  3. Andrew O'Keefe pulls out of Jesus Christ Superstar with serious neck injury | News Ltd 14 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013
  4. Knox, David (18 July 2015). "Media gets on board with AOK to host The Chase". TV Tonight. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  5. Hornery, Andrew (8 December 2017). "Andrew O'Keefe quits Weekend Sunrise". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  6. Knox, David (8 December 2017). "Andrew O'Keefe quits Weekend Sunrise". TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  7. Appointment of a new Chair of White Ribbon Australia | White Ribbon Foundation 15 May 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013
  8. Members of National Council to reduce violence against women and children announced | Australian Government 26 May 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2013 Archived 16 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  9. White Ribbon Foundation
  10. It's an Honour
  11. Chris Beck talks to Andrew O'Keefe | The Age 12 January 2006. Retrieved 15 June 2013
  12. Ten questions: Andrew O'Keefe | The Australian 19 November 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2013
  13. Changing Channels: Andrew O'Keefe on Allens to showbiz | Lawyers Weekly 11 August 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2013
  14. "The Chase Australia" (PDF). Seven West Media. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
Preceded by
Chris Reason		 Weekend Sunrise
Co-host with Monique Wright
March 2006 – December 2017		 Succeeded by
Basil Zempilas
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