Barnaby Joyce: One Nation MP flies off handle with verbal outburst during ABC interview with Sarah Ferguson

Barnaby Joyce erupted into an outburst during a live television interview by yelling at an off-camera dog.

The One Nation MP appeared on ABC’s 7.30 on Tuesday night to respond to questions about Senator Pauline Hanson’s recent interview with controversial right-wing figure Tommy Robinson, as well as scrutiny over her podcast appearance, comments referencing the White Australia policy and the funding of her trip to a fashion show in Sicily.

As host Sarah Ferguson questioned the former deputy prime minister, the discussion was abruptly derailed by something off camera.

In the middle of answering the question, Mr Joyce turned his head and suddenly yelled “Sit down” in a stern tone.

The outburst momentarily stopped the interview before he explained the reason for the flare-up.

“Sorry, it’s the dog”, he said.

The interview then resumed, but the canine made its presence felt again later in the interview when Ms Ferguson asked the former Nationals leader about a manifesto Restore Britain founder Rupert Lowe gave Hanson titled ‘Mass Deportation’.

“I have to apologise for this dog, which has decided to bail up my...” Joyce said.

The comment led to a tense moment when Ms Ferguson urged him not to worry about the dog and “just answer the question.”

“Don’t be rude Sarah or this interview will grind to a halt,” Mr Joyce replied.

At the close of the interview, Ms Ferguson lightheartedly referenced the dog and brushed off the interruption.

“We will say thank you very much for joining us Barnaby Joyce, the dog was no problem,” she said.

But Mr Joyce was still hung up on the distraction.

“It was to me,” he said.