Just weeks after TV host Andrew O’Keefe revealed he’s back on top following an eight-week break to seek mental health treatment, Seven has confirmed production for The Chase Australia has been postponed until January.
The hiatus will give 48-year-old Andrew, who has admitted to being “lost” and “exhausted”, a break and some “clean air” to work on his health. According to our insider, Andrew has been struggling after a bitter divorce from his wife Eleanor.
“He’s in a very bad place and Seven execs are worried about him,” says a source. “They’re hoping this break gives him the space to sort himself out.”
“He’s in a very bad place” a source says about Andrew O’Keefe (pictured)
(Image: Channel Seven)Last month Andrew admitted he thought his life was “meaningless” after his marriage to wife Eleanor broke down.
The couple, who share children Barnaby, 15, Rory, 12, and Olivia, eight, quietly separated in 2017 and divorced in 2019, with Andrew becoming a headline fixture for his wild behaviour following their split.
In a candid interview with Sunrise, the 48-year-old reflected on the turbulent period in his life after host David Koch told him: “We have been worried about you for the last year or two…”
WATCH: Andrew O’Keefe admits he thought life was “meaningless” after divorce in candid interview. Story continues below…
“Everyone hits a part of their life where they really question what it’s all about and who they really are, whether what they have done for the last four or five years means anything,” Andrew responded.
“And I think, when I split up from my wife, that was my time. and the thing I always believed in most of all in this life was the power of love and combining with someone to make something special, and when I lost that, I thought well, it was all meaningless.”
In April, filming of game show The Chase was halted for eight-weeks as host Andrew took a sudden leave of absence.
Andrew and ex-wife Eleanor in 2009.
(Image: Getty)At the time, O’Keefe’s manager Mark Klemens told The Daily Telegraph in a statement: “Andrew O’Keefe is currently taking some time off from his demanding and busy schedule to regroup and work through some personal issues.”
Andrew later confirmed to The Herald Sun that he had entered a mental health facility to address his “unhelpful behaviours”.
On Sunrise he alluded to his method of dealing with these personal issues.
“In those times, we have several choices about how we deal with things and sometimes we rely on things that aren’t so great for us. Sometimes people turn to work and they work their way through their pain or turn to drugs or turn to alcohol or drugs or eating or whatever,” he said.
“I just feel very lucky that in this country we have these institutions and the expertise to be able to deal with those things and get on top of it.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit its website here
In happier times: Andrew and Eleanor (pictured in 2008) quietly split in 2017.
(Image: Getty)
