Peter Stefanovic says he regrets confronting Indigenous teen after public backlash - and is spotted looking gloomy with wife

Sky News host Peter Stefanovic 'regrets' ruining a teenage fishing champion's big moment in a trainwreck TV interview and has made an apology on live TV following a public backlash.

'An apology from me, last Wednesday we invited Keegan Payne onto our show to discuss his win in the Million Dollar Fish competition in the Northern Territory,' Stefanovic said during First Edition on Monday. 

'During that interview I asked him about a theft that had occurred several years earlier. I should not have asked him about those claims and I regret doing so.

'I apologise sincerely to Keegan and his family.'

Mr Payne, 19, made headlines across Australia last weekend after he hooked a barramundi worth $1million in Katherine, 317km south of Darwin.

His prize catch was part of the Million Dollar Fish angling competition aimed to boost Northern Territory tourism.

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 in the excruciating exchange. 

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

Stefanovic deleted all his social media accounts in the wake of the furore.

Meanwhile,  a petition, which called for Stefanovic to resign attracted more than 3,500 signatures. 

On Friday afternoon, Sky News was forced to issue a grovelling apology, with the network revealing that Stefanovic had personally said sorry to Mr Payne and his family. 

This was backed up by Mr Stefanovic's personal apology on Monday.

Amid the public backlash, the Sky News host appeared downcast and lost in his own thoughts as he sat in the front passenger seat of his family car while his Channel Nine presenter wife Sylvia Jeffreys drove on Sunday afternoon. 

Stefanovic, could be seen squinting through the rain as he broke cover for the first time since he humiliated the teen.

His TV host wife appeared just as gloomy behind the wheel.

Mr Payne's former boss told Daily Mail Australia that he was glad Stefanovic had apologised.

'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.'

Social media users were furious with Stefanovic after the interview aired. 

'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.' 

Daily Mail Australia approached Mr Payne and his father for comment on Sunday night.