Peter Stefanovic is slammed for asking 'harsh' question during interview with teen who had just won $1million: 'Grub'

Sky News journalist Peter Stefanovic might have forced an apology for a criminal act out of a young million dollar winner but the question has attracted scorn rather than praise from viewers. 

Keegan Payne, 19, who lives central Northern Territory town of Katherine caught a barramundi that had been released with a tag that could be redeemed for $1million prize in the Katherine river on Sunday.

However, his joy at winning the nine-year million dollar fishing competition was cut short by a blunt question from Mr Stefanovic about a crime Payne had committed as a 16-year-old, which he admitted to.

'There is a claim online that you stole a Polaris Ranger and Polaris quad that you and your friends stole and damaged from a business a few years back, first of all, is that true?,' Mr Stefanovic asked from the Sydney studio during the live interview.

Payne, who was speaking from the Darwin, simply answered: 'Yes'.

'So, what happened?,' Mr Stefanovic asked.

Payne explained he and his friends 'were young, and  'weren't thinking at the time' but having come up with the idea they 'went for it'.

Stefanovic asked Payne if he regretted the act and he said he did 'big time'.

Social media users were not impressed with a number saying Stefanovic has ruined Payne's good fortune.

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

'He made a mistake and took the fall out 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 'be happy for this kid?'

'No ones perfect, but to shame him on tv? Talk about rip the carpet from beneath him! Stop kicking people back down when they move forward!

'Shows the mentality of dipsh*ts who like ruin other peoples happiness!

Some thought Payne was not being given a chance to make good.

'He's a young lad who's trying to correct his mistakes and that's alright, just goes to show it's helping more then just him and his family and that's good him of him to make first contact to correct it since actually being able to,' one person said.

'Hats off to the kid for turning his life around by realising the path he was on was a dead end and that his life holds more value than to he a thief,' another wrote.

Another simply called Stefanovic a 'grub.' 

Daily Mail Australia can reveal the teen is back in touch with his old boss, Bob Cavanagh from Cav's Mowing, and has 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 took on Keegan as a worker for his ground maintenance business when he was 15.

But during Covid lockdowns, Mr Cavanagh decided to move to Queensland, leaving his equipment unsupervised.

Keegan and a friend took the opportunity to steal his quad and buggy.

'They were only 16, you know. There's not too many of us go through life without stuffing up somewhere along the line,' Mr Cavanagh said.

'If you can be given a second chance, that's what I was prepared to do for those two boys. I hope they have made the best of it.

'There's no point going through this life carrying grudges.'

Mr Cavanagh said the theft was a 'one-off' mistake from an otherwise 'good kid'.