Backlash against Peter Stefanovic's interview with million dollar-winning ... trends now
Pressure is mounting on Sky News presenter Peter Stefanovic to publicly apologise and resign over a 'train wreck' interview where he shamed an Indigenous teenager who just won $1million in a fishing competition.
The backlash against Stefanovic has become so intense that he appears to have deleted all of his social media accounts - while a prominent lawyer has spoken out against him on social media.
Last Sunday Keegan Payne, 19, caught a 67cm barramundi in the Katherine River - with no idea it had a tag worth $1million in a Northern Territory fishing competition attached to it.
When Stefanovic interviewed Mr Payne on Wednesday, he started by asking him if he had once stolen an off-road vehicle and a quad bike from a former employer.
The teen paused and said 'Yes', but instead of the Sky News presenter being praised for his investigative journalism, he was slammed for bringing up something that happened when Mr Payne was 15.
Pressure is mounting on Sky News presenter Peter Stefanovic (pictured) to resign over his 'train wreck' interview where he shamed an Indigenous teenager
Keegan Payne had no idea he had caught a fish worth $1million (pictured) in a prize that had never previously been won during nine seasons of the Northern Territory competition
'So, what happened?' Stefanovic pressed.
Mr Payne, who looked genuinely remorseful, told Stefanovic that he and his friend 'weren't thinking at the time' and he regretted his actions 'big time'.
Daily Mail Australia subsequently revealed the teen was back in touch with his old boss, Bob Cavanagh from Cav's Mowing, and offered to pay him back for the stolen vehicles.
'Out of the blue this 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.'
Mr Cavanagh did not press police charges at the time, instead talking to the boys and their parents and having the boys work for free on weekends.
But the teenager having squared things with the businessman has not saved Stefanovic from being lambasted for how he treated the new millionaire on live TV.
Lawyer Jahan Kalantar - who regularly posts on legal issues to TikTok - said Stefanovic conducted a 'train wreck of an interview' and called him a 'smarmy news presenter' who asked Mr Payne about something he did as a child.
'Can you imagine any other community where you would bring up something that a child has done - which by the way is unlawful,' Mr Kalantar said in a video.
'It's completely inappropriate (to be asked) "do you feel sorry for this thing you did four years ago", when you've been invited on to give an interview about the fact that you won a fishing competition.'
Mr Kalantar said the interview was 'disgusting' and that Stefanovic had a 'smug little smirk on his face' as he asked the question.
He said the Sky presenter should 'mind your manners' and that what he did
