Prateek Tanmay
3 min readNew DelhiJul 22, 2026 03:18 PM IST
Australian politician Barnaby Joyce invited a backlash after an awkward moment during a live television interview, when he abruptly paused to shout at his dog.
According to Metro.UK, Joyce appeared on ABC News during a discussion about his party leader’s meeting with a far-right political figure from the United Kingdom.
In the middle of the interview, Joyce suddenly shouted, “Sit down!” at something off-screen. Realising what had happened, he immediately clarified the interruption, saying, “Sorry, it’s the dog.”
ABC News presenter Sarah Ferguson accepted the apology and attempted to move the interview forward. However, the dog reportedly interrupted once again moments later. Trying to keep the discussion going, Ferguson told Joyce, “Don’t worry about the dog. Just answer the question.”
The remark appeared to irritate the politician, who accused the presenter of being rude. “Otherwise, this interview will come to a grinding halt,” Joyce responded.
Sharing the video, an X user, Josh Butler, wrote, “Barnaby Joyce pausing mid-interview on ABC 7.30 to bellow SIT DOWN at his dog (off camera) is going to be hard to beat for TV blooper of the year.”
Watch the video here:
Barnaby Joyce pausing mid-interview on ABC 7.30 to bellow SIT DOWN at his dog (off camera) is going to be hard to beat for TV blooper of the year pic.twitter.com/gJYEF6P3g2
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) July 20, 2026
‘That wasn’t a blooper’
The video has since gone viral across all social media platforms, drawing a wave of reactions.
“It gave a cracking insight into Barnaby’s emotional maturity but we had to ask…was he really talking to the dog??” a user wrote.
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“Oh that wasn’t a blooper. Look at the question he was asked before he yelled Barnaby was definitely yelling what he would like to say to Pauline Hanson,” another user commented.
“I hate seeing anyone yell at a dog like that. I hate it when I witness people abuse their own children with that same tone and aggression. This man is the worst of Australia,” a third user reacted.
