Tense interview between Barnaby Joyce and ABC host turns bizarre as he stops midway through to scream at a dog not visible to viewers

By ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 15:17, 20 July 2026 | Updated: 15:26, 20 July 2026 An agitated Barnaby Joyce bizarrely derailed an already hostile interview with journalist Sarah Ferguson when he stopped to furiously yell at an off-camera dog. The fiery interview on the public broadcaster's 7.30 program saw a no-nonsense Ferguson grill Joyce - who beamed into the studio from rural NSW - about One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's policies and her controversial recent trip to Europe. Hanson met with hard-right figures in the UK, including Tommy Robinson and Restore Britain founder Rupert Lowe, said she supported mass deportation, and inaccurately said most of Australia's 'illegal immigrants' were from the Middle East. Ferguson asked whether Joyce's decision to defect to One Nation in December 2025 was now dragging him 'further into a place of intolerance and racial discrimination'. It was right at that moment Joyce, who appeared to be doing the interview from a verandah, abruptly paused, turned and yelled 'sit down' to something off screen that could not be seen or heard by viewers. 'Sorry, it's a dog,' Joyce said. Joyce interrupted the interview a second time two minutes later, this time moving away from Ferguson's question about a manifesto Lowe gave Hanson bluntly titled 'Mass Deportation'. 'I have to apologise for this dog, which has decided to bail up my...' Joyce said. Barnaby Joyce (above) interrupted a nationally televised interview with Sarah Ferguson on the ABC's 7.30 on Monday night to yell at a dog off screen Ferguson (above) had been pressing Joyce on whether he backed party leader Pauline Hanson's decision to meet with notable hard-right figures Ferguson cut him short: 'Don't worry about the dog, just answer the question.' A clearly annoyed Joyce then shot back: 'Oh, don't be rude. Don't be ride otherwise this interview will come to a grinding halt, Sarah.'  Ferguson brought the dog back up at the very end of the interview, saying it 'was no problem'. Determined to get the last word, Joyce said: 'It was to me.' The strange moment immediately caught the attention of viewers, with one labelling the interview a 'trainwreck' and joking Joyce would 'blame it all on the dog'. 'What the f*** was that interview with Barnaby Joyce? I thought I'd seen it all,' one wrote online. 'If you thought it wasn't possible for your opinion of Barnaby Joyce to sink any lower, he just interrupted this unhinged 7.30 interview to explode with anger and yell at his dog,' another said. 'Yelling at his dogs to shut up then abusing the host. Classic Barnaby!' another wrote. Viewers labelled the interview a 'trainwreck' and Joyce 'unhinged' 'I did not see or hear a dog during the interview. What could any silent dog be doing to produce such an unhinged response from Barnaby Joyce?' another said. In another part of the interview, Joyce said he had no idea whether mining magnate Gina Rinehart paid for Hanson to attend a designer fashion show with her in Sicily. Hanson's relationship with the billionaire, Australia's richest person, has been under close scrutiny since Rinehart bought her a private plane earlier this year.  One ABC viewer wrote: 'Apparently Barnaby Joyce doesn't know whether Gina Rinehart bought Pauline Hanson a plane. 'But he sure knows how to treat a dog badly.' Ferguson's first round of questions mainly focused on whether Joyce backed Hanson's decision to meet with notable far-right figures. Mainly, the ABC host pressed Joyce about Hanson's appearance on a podcast with anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson.  Joyce attempted to blame Seven for arranging the meeting, which the broadcaster has denied.  In a Spotlight episode on Sunday, Hanson (right) met with several British far-right figures including anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson (left) 'I don't think Pauline went over there with a bio on Tommy Robinson,' Joyce said.  'I acknowledge there are some things Tommy Robinson has done which are, basically against the law. I mean, you can't kick a policeman in the head. 'I'm not suggesting that there's any condonement of that whatsoever. 'What I do take out of this though, is Tommy Robinson would not exist if there wasn't such a a fracture, such a heat within English society that has given support to him.' Joyce was also asked about his apparent backing of Hanson's plans for mass deportation. Earlier on Monday, Joyce had suggested illegal immigrants could be targeted for deportation when accessing healthcare. Ferguson asked: 'Is it your policy to require GPs and hospital doctors to report overstayers to authorities?' 'If they're illegal, they're not supposed to be in Australia. That's why they're termed illegal immigrants,' Joyce said. Joyce (right) on Monday night defended Hanson (left), claiming she didn't have 'a bio on Tommy Robinson' before meeting him 'People who are illegal immigrants should be sent home to wherever they come from.' Ferguson asked again: 'How are you going to do it? Earlier today you suggested you could use the medical system to identify them.' Joyce answered: 'They're going to come across a range of things. Whether it's health issues, parking fines, whatever it is - they're going to pop up. 'When they pop up, they're going to be sent off because otherwise the whole thing's a farce. 'If we don't want to enforce our borders then what are you going to do, Sarah? Just open the door and let the whole world in?'