Tuesday 24 May 2022 05:40 AM Andrew O'Keefe's tranquil Christian rehab life after allegedly choking a sex ... trends now
Troubled television star Andrew O'Keefe has been allowed to swap a cramped prison cell for a long-term rehab stay at an idyllic riverside centre run by a Christian biker.
O'Keefe will spend between six and 12 months at the 24-hour Connect Global drug recovery centre on the NSW Central Coast after multiple attempts to secure a release on bail were refused.
The court heard his previous bail application was denied because it proposed only a three-week rehab stay.
Justice Robertson Wright deemed that inadequate and the new rehab plan was proposed by Justice Robert Hulme as a way forward after O'Keefe plunged into an 'erratic and chaotic lifestyle'.
The former Deal Or No Deal host agreed to be taken by his brother Phillip to the Port Stephens facility, where he can play tennis, go fishing and lift weights as he tries to recover from drug dependency.
Former channel Seven star Andrew O'Keefe descended into an 'erratic and chaotic' lifestyle and now finds himself in the hands of a rehab run by Christian bikers
Andrew O'Keefe (pictured) has been granted bail in the NSW Supreme Court to attend a rehabilitation centre for up to 12 months to combat his long-standing substance abuse
Situated next to Swan Bay on the NSW Central Coast, Connect Global has 'a generous nature filled space offering a swimming pool, tennis courts, basketball half court, fishing, bike riding and various other indoor and outdoor activities'
His bail conditions include staying at the rehab centre for six months full-time, taking medication prescribed to him and seeing a psychiatrist and psychologist.
If he quits Global Connect facility or is kicked out he must hand himself into police.
It will be the 50-year-old O'Keefe's tenth stay at a rehab facility.
The troubled O'Keefe, who has a history of ice, cannabis and cocaine abuse, appeared from Silverwater jail on Monday via video link.
The former Seven Network presenter nodded quietly throughout and thanked the judge after being reprimanded in previous appearances for outbursts in court.
Participants in the Connect Global program take part in weight-lifting programs as part of their personal development. The rehab is run by Christian biker Ross Pene
