Lawn mower boss shares scathing message for Peter Stefanovic after Sky News host sparked outrage for ‘disrespectful’ interview with 19-year-old fishing champ Keegan Payne

The owner of a lawnmowing business has accused Sky News host Peter Stefanovic of ruining a champion fisherman’s moment of glory after dredging up his youthful indiscretion during a live TV interview.

Keegan Payne, 19, made headlines across Australia last Sunday after hooking a barramundi worth $1million in Katherine, 317km south of Darwin.

His prize catch was part of a nine-year Million Dollar Fish angling competition.

However, his celebrations were cut short during a harsh interview with Stefanovic on Wednesday morning.

The breakfast host asked point-blank if there was any truth to rumours Keegan and a friend had once stolen an off-road vehicle and a quad bike from his former employer Bob Cavanagh.

In a stunning admission, Keegan said the allegation was true – and offered a sincere apology to his old boss.

The segment sparked outrage among viewers who demanded Stefanovic resign for trying to turn a feel-good story into a scandal.

The backlash was so fierce it prompted Sky News and Stefanovic to issue a grovelling apology to the young man.

Mr Cavanagh, the owner of Cav’s Mowing, told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday that Keegan deserved an apology from Stefanovic.

He also confirmed he had forgiven Keegan and his mate for stealing the vehicles, adding the thefts were water under the bridge.

‘He’s a good kid who made a mistake,’ Mr Cavanagh said.

‘What was meant to be a celebratory moment was stolen from him. I’m glad he [Stefanovic] apologised to Keegan, he deserved that apology.’

Mr Cavanagh, who has since left the Northern Territory for Queensland, said like Keegan, Stefanovic had likely learnt a valuable lesson.

‘We all make mistakes and I bet he regrets it,’ he said.

‘The fact that he [Stefanovic] has come out and apologised to Keegan and his family, I think he’s realised he’s overstepped the mark.’

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.’

Mr Cavanagh explained the young man, who was just 15 at the time, apologised for what he and two others did to his property.

‘We had some quite big contracts that we needed to look after and I asked him, “How are we going to do that now?”‘ he said.

‘It was about showing the consequences [for what] they had done. Keegan felt terrible, you know.’

Keegan and his friend agreed to work for Mr Cavanagh on weekends to repay 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 at an aged-care home,’ Mr Cavanagh said.

‘I saw him eight to 12 months later and he still couldn’t look at me, he was just so ashamed of what he’d done.’

Shortly after the interview, social media users were left fuming at Stefanovic.

‘Reporter hears good news. Does everything they can to dig up dirt and be negative,’ one wrote.

‘He made a mistake and took the fallout for it and was forgiven way before this win!’ said another.

‘S***ty reporting as usual,’ another commented.

One Aussie asked why people couldn’t just ‘be happy for this kid?’

‘No one’s perfect, but to shame him on TV? Talk about rip the carpet from beneath him! Stop kicking people back down when they move forward!’ they added.

‘Shows the mentality of dips**ts who like ruin other people’s happiness!’

Lawyer Jahan Kalantar, who regularly discusses legal issues on TikTok, said Stefanovic had conducted a ‘trainwreck of an interview’ and called him a ‘smarmy news presenter’ for asking Keegan about something he did as a minor.

‘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.

Yvonne Weldon, an Indigenous Sydney city councillor, said she was appalled by the interview.

‘They invited him on to talk about his prize catch and then proceeded to put him on the stand for an adolescent misdemeanour,’ she wrote on LinkedIn post.

‘In doing so, they’ve shown no regard for his wellbeing and right to privacy.

‘Moreover, they have perpetuated a harmful and negative stereotype about Aboriginal young people.’ 

Sky News Australia and Stefanovic were forced to issue an apology.

‘On Wednesday 1 May 2024, Sky News Australia broadcast a live interview of Keegan Payne by Peter Stefanovic on First Edition,’ the apology published on the Sky News website read.

‘The interview concerned Mr Payne’s win in the Northern Territory’s Million Dollar Fish Competition.

‘During the interview Mr Stefanovic asked Mr Payne questions about claims he had been involved in the theft of a Polaris Ranger and Polaris Quad from his former employer in 2021.

‘Mr Payne confirmed the claims and apologised to his former employer on-air. Mr Payne’s former employer subsequently told Sky News Australia that he did not proceed with police charges and had accepted Mr Payne’s apology.

‘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.

‘Mr Stefanovic has reached out to Mr Payne and his family directly to convey his apology.’