Gossip Queen: Andrew O’Keefe chases late night show for Channel 7
CHANNEL Seven’s Mr Versatile, Andrew O’Keefe, has plans to swap daybreak for late night, confirming he has been pitching variety and talk show concepts to the network.
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CHANNEL Seven’s Mr Versatile, Andrew O’Keefe, has plans to swap daybreak for late night, confirming he has been pitching variety and talk show concepts to the network.
“In TV we are always interested in certain things; news, sport, comedy, drama, and infotainment,” he said.
ANDREW O’KEEFE CONSIDERS NEXT CAREER MOVE
“I still believe that there is an occupiable space after 10pm and that is what I keep pitching. I believe there are ways to do that which are cost effective and highly entertaining.”
He said while he was pitching his own ideas, Seven had plenty of their own concepts in the works.
“It is going both ways at this stage. I know they are interested in occupying a bit of that (late night) space and they have at least about four or five different ideas, so we have piloted a couple of things and I am bringing them a couple of things.
“The fact that I have been around for 15 years now counts for absolutely nothing.”
Having stepped away from Weekend Sunrise after 12 years, O’Keefe has been busying himself with a passion project, a show based on the life and music of his uncle, Johnny O’Keefe.
The show, Andrew O’Keefe “Shouts” Johnny O’Keefe, will debut at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in June.
“People have been asking me for many years to do a show about Uncle John and I have always resisted as I didn’t want to trade off the name,” he said.
“But this year is 40 years since Uncle John died and 60 years since he had his first big hit, The Wild One, and I thought if I am ever going to do it this is the year.
“I studied singing for six years, but that was classical singing.
“Uncle John, believe it or not there was one area in his life where he was self deprecating and that was around his singing ability.
“I remember talking to him, I was about six or seven years old, and I said I want to be a singer like you and he said I am not a singer, I am an entertainer. So he did not rate his own voice.”
O’Keefe announced in December that he was stepping away from Weekend Sunrise, primarily to spend more time with his family.
He admitted, while he adored the show he had not watched it since signing off.
“For 36 weeks a year for 12 years I have worked seven days a week so not working Saturday and Sunday morning, it may surprise you, comes as a sweet bloody relief,” he said.
“I loved the team on Weekend Sunrise. I always thought we had something very special. There was an esprit de corp on that show and a kind of looseness and loucheness that the weekend allows that, for me, made it an enjoyable and stimulating environment to be in.
“But I can’t say that I am sorry to be able to see my kids play sport, I can’t say I am sorry to be sleeping in to the godly hour of 6.15am.”
O’Keefe said after a dozen years in the host’s seat it was time for him to make a change for his own good.
“I don’t know that I had got mentally flabby or lost my edge or anything, I was just bloody exhausted,” he said.
“During the regular days when I came home all I wanted to do was watch Deadwood and go to sleep.
“Whereas now when I come home I feel like doing something and that could be writing a song or plotting a program, or sometimes that is writing a script.”
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