Peter Stefanovic: “I apologise sincerely to Keegan and his family.”

SKY News presenter Peter Stefanovic has apologised following a backlash to an interview last week.

“An apology from me, last Wednesday we invited Keegan Payne onto our show to discuss his win in the Million Dollar Fish competition in the Northern Territory,” Stefanovic said during First Edition this morning.

“During that interview I asked him about a theft that had occurred several years earlier. I should not have asked him about those claims and I regret doing so.

“I apologise sincerely to Keegan and his family.”

Stefanovic had also deleted his social media accounts.

Million-dollar catch for Top End teen turns awkward after sad TV admission. #MediaBites #MediaWatch pic.twitter.com/jQzcsms4fU

— Media Watch (@ABCmediawatch) May 2, 2024

SKY News also issued an apology on Friday.

“SKY News Australia and Peter Stefanovic apologise to Mr Payne and his family for raising these claims during the live interview about his million dollar win in the fishing competition,” SKY News said in a statement.

“Mr Stefanovic has reached out to Mr Payne and his family directly to convey his apology.”

Cav’s Mowing owner and Mr Payne’s former employer Bob Cavanagh told Daily Mail that Payne was a good kid who made a mistake.

In the days following his million-dollar win last week, Keegan reached out to his old boss and offered to pay him back for the stolen vehicles.

“Out of the blue [one] morning, his father rang me and said, ‘Keegan wants to repay you,”‘and you could have knocked me down with a feather,” Mr Cavanagh said.

“He said Keegan has always felt so terrible for what he did.”