A grass-cutting boss has accused Sky News presenter Peter Stefanovic of ruining a fishing champion’s moment of glory after exposing his dark past on live television.
Keegan Payne, 19, made headlines across Australia last Sunday after catching a million-dollar barramundi in Katherine, 317 kilometers south of Darwin.
His prized catch was part of a Million Dollar Fish angling competition that lasted nine years.
However, their celebrations were cut short during a tough interview with Stefanovic on Wednesday morning.
The Sky News presenter asked directly if there was any truth to rumors that Keegan had once stolen an all-terrain vehicle and quad bike from his former employer Bob Cavanagh.
In a surprising admission, Keegan said the allegation was true and offered a sincere apology to his former boss.
The segment sparked outrage among viewers who demanded Stefanovic’s resignation and the backlash prompted the Sky News presenter to humiliately apologize.
Cavanagh told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday that Keegan deserved the apology and that he bore no ill will towards the former Cav’s Mowing employee.
Mr Payne’s old Bob Cavanagh of Cav’s Mowing in the Northern Territory: revealed. Keegan Payne, 19, deserved an apology from Sky News journalist Peter Stefanovic.
Peter Stefanovic approached Mr Payne and his family apologized directly for the harsh interview.
“He’s a good kid who made a mistake,” Cavanagh said.
“They stole what should have been a moment of celebration. I’m glad that he [Stefanovic] “I apologized to Keegan, he deserved that apology.”
Cavanagh, who now lives in Queensland, said like Keegan, Stefanovic probably learned a valuable lesson.
“We all, we all make mistakes and I bet he regrets it,” she said.
“The fact that he has come out and apologized to Keegan and his family, I think he has realized that he has gone too far.”
In the days after his million-dollar win last week, Keegan approached his former boss and offered to pay him back for the stolen vehicles.
“Out of the blue this morning, his dad called me and said, ‘Keegan wants to pay you,’ and you could have knocked me down with a feather,” Mr. Cavanagh said.
“He said Keegan had always felt very bad about what he did.”
Cavanagh explained that the teenager, who was only 15 at the time, apologized for what he and two other people did to his property.
‘We had some pretty big contracts that we needed to take care of and I asked him, how are we going to do it now?
‘It was about showing the consequences [for what] they had done it. Keegan felt terrible, you know?
Keegan and his friend agreed to work for Cavanagh on weekends to compensate him for the damage they caused, but the plan fell through after two weekends due to a lull in business.
“He ended up being like a janitor in a nursing home,” Cavanagh said.
“I saw him eight to 12 months later and he still couldn’t look at me, he was so ashamed of what he had done.”
The teenager has offered to pay his former boss Bob Cavanagh after stealing two vehicles from him.
Keegan Payne (pictured) won $1 million by catching a 67cm barramundi in a fishing competition in the Northern Territory.
In the days following the interview, Sky News and Stefanovic were forced to apologise.
“On Wednesday 1 May 2024, Sky News Australia broadcast a live Keegan Payne interview conducted by Peter Stefanovic on First Edition,” the apology posted on Sky News’ website read.
‘The interview concerned Mr Payne’s victory in the Northern Territory Million Dollar Fish Contest.
‘During the interview, Mr Stefanovic asked Mr Payne questions about claims that he had been involved in the theft of a Polaris Ranger and a Polaris Quad from his former employer in 2021.
‘Mr Payne confirmed the claims and apologized to his former employer on air. Payne’s former employer later told Sky News Australia that he did not proceed with police charges and that he had accepted Payne’s apology.
‘Sky News Australia and Peter Stefanovic apologize to Mr Payne and his family for raising these claims during the live interview about his million-dollar fishing competition win.
“Mr Stefanovic has contacted Mr Payne and his family directly to convey his apologies.”
