Australian politician interrupts live TV interview to scream at dog

A bizarre interview has gone viral after Barnaby Joyce, a right-wing Australian politician, abruptly yelled at a dog mid-question.

He was being quizzed by ABC News’ Sarah Ferguson live on TV on Monday when he got a little distracted.

Ferguson had asked whether he was ‘comfortable’ with where the leader of his party – the One Nation Party -was taking them.

‘I think…’ he began before shouting ‘sit down!’ at something unseen to his left. He then clarified: ‘Sorry, it’s the dog.’

He awkwardly chuckled, then went on to answer the question but was interrupted yet again when asked about policy.

‘I have to apologise about the dog,’ Joyce said, prompting a tense exchange with Ferguson saying not to ‘worry about the dog’ and ‘just answer the question’.

‘Don’t be rude,’ Joyce bit back, adding: ‘Otherwise, this interview will come to a grinding halt.’

He was appearing on the program after the party’s leader, Pauline Hanson, was criticised for a trip to the UK where she met Tommy Robinson, a far-right activist and convicted criminal.

When the awkward interview finally drew to a close, Ferguson quipped that the dog had been ‘no problem’.

The politician clearly felt differently and replied, ‘It was to me’.

He later claimed he has a ‘staffy-border collie cross’ who was ‘barking incessantly’ during the interview from under the deck.

The clip quickly picked up traction on the internet with some concerned at how Joyce treated the pup off-camera, while others said there was no dog at all.

‘You can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat animals,’ wrote Liz Allen on X as Chris Fitzgerald said: ‘Never trust a person who treats animals poorly.’

‘This is just weird no? Completely loose,’ added Erica Campbell while Sam Clench agreed it was ‘not a normal way to talk to your dog’.

Azlancat added: ‘You yell at your dog like that on camera, what will you be like when you’re off it? Awful.’

Cheryl Allderladd joked: ‘Angry man yells at invisible dog to think up an answer….’

Many suggested there was no real dog, as barks couldn’t be heard in the clip, and instead Joyce was ‘deflecting’.

Ronni Salt, a political commentator, shared: ‘Not sure who needs to hear this but Barnaby is a very old hand at the media game – a cunning, experienced player.

‘He was asked an extremely difficult question by Ferguson and his eyes darted around, thinking. Then next thing, voila, suddenly a dog is on the scene, oh dear what was the question?

‘He was playing this, “something is just there Sarah, just off screen distracting me” game all the way through the interview.’

Joyce did reject the suggestions that Hanson had crossed a line by meeting anti-immigration figure and criminal Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

She claimed meeting him did not mean she endorsed his views or actions, however, One Nation – which she founded in the 90s – does position itself against immigration.