There was some sad news this week for fans of popular Channel Seven show The Chase as it was revealed that production of the show had been halted for the rest of the year, with host Andrew O’Keefe reportedly taking some time away from the show in order to focus on his mental health.
According to the Herald Sun, who first reported the news on Sunday, the decision was made by the network to reschedule the final few weeks of filming for 2019, moving the shoots to the first few weeks of 2020 instead. Fans of the show needn’t fear the worst though as O’Keefe is set to return to his hosting duties next year and the schedule change is not expected to impact the roll-out of the show on TV.
A spokesperson confirmed the rescheduling to the news outlet, saying: “The rescheduling will allow Andrew O’Keefe time to finish the run of his Johnny O’Keefe shows without the added pressure of records for The Chase.”
They added: “We look forward to having him back in the studio filming The Chase in January.”
The network did not comment specifically on O’Keefe’s health and, on Monday, a Channel Seven spokesperson told Starts at 60 they had no further comment at this stage.
The news comes after O’Keefe spoke openly about his mental health, having taken several weeks off from filming the hit game show in April to undergo treatment at a mental health clinic, following the breakdown of his marriage to wife Eleanor in 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WbylBxEmu8
Just last month the quiz show host revealed the huge impact the split had on him – admitting he ended up feeling like his life was “meaningless” during a raw interview on Channel Seven morning show Sunrise.
David ‘Kochie’ Koch began the conversation by admitting he had been worried about O’Keefe for the last year – prompting a very candid discussion from the TV favourite. O’Keefe admitted he could see similarities between his own mental health battle and that of his late musician uncle and Aussie rock ‘n’ roll legend Johnny O’Keefe before his death.
“Everyone hits a part of their life where they really question what it’s all about and who they really are and what they have done for the last four or five years and whether it means anything,” he admitted. “When I split up from my wife Eleanor, that was my time.
“The thing I always believed in most in this life was the power of love and combining with someone to make something special. When I lost that I thought, ‘well, it’s all meaningless’.
“In those times we have several choices about how we deal with things and sometimes we rely on things that aren’t so great for us. Sometimes people turn to work and work their way through their pain or they turn to drugs or eating.”
He ended the speech by sharing an inspiring thought for anyone else struggling themselves, adding: “I just feel very lucky that in this country we have the professionals and expertise to deal with those things if you think it’s getting on top of you.”