Abruptly on-air pause: Find out what made this TV presenter stop live!
- Replies 15
In a moment that captured the hearts and attention of viewers across the nation, ABC News Breakfast weather presenter Nate Byrne abruptly and unexpectedly paused the live broadcast.
The reason behind this interruption was not a technical glitch or breaking news but something deeply personal and human: a panic attack.
The incident occurred on a seemingly ordinary Tuesday morning as Byrne delivered Queensland's weather report.
He calmly requested to hand it back to his co-presenters, Lisa Millar and Michael Rowland.
'I'm actually going to need to stop for a second,' he said.
‘Some of you may know that I occasionally get affected by some panic attacks, and actually, that’s happening right now.’
‘Lisa, maybe I could hand it back to you.’
Byrne's transparency about his mental health challenges is not new.
In 2022, he penned a candid piece about his experiences with on-air panic attacks, describing his first encounter with the condition as a 'terrifying experience' that reshaped his view on mental health.
His co-presenter, Lisa Millar, highlighted this article and suggested revisiting it on social media to encourage openness and discussion.
‘Nate wrote a great piece on the ABC online website about this, and I reckon we might re-up it, put it on our socials, so you can have a bit of a read because it’s fantastic that he has been so open and transparent about it,’ she said.
‘The response when he first wrote about it and spoke about it was that everyone said, “Oh thank god, Nate’s not perfect, we thought he was perfect, but actually he’s now sharing something”.’
Upon returning to the show, Byrne apologised to viewers, but his colleagues quickly offered support.
‘You’ve been very honest before about getting panic attacks on air, and it’s great for people to know that it can happen to anyone,’ Millar assured him.
Rowland lightened the mood with a joke about having to take over the weather report.
‘Gave me a scare because I thought I’d have to finish doing the weather report,’ he said.
Byrne expressed his gratitude to his team for their support during the attack before the broadcast continued.
Rowland has since posted about the incident on social media, reassuring everyone that Byrne is doing fine after the event.
‘Nate’s open about his panic attacks — he’s even written about them before — and he’s doing okay!’ He posted on social media.
‘Thank you for all the supportive messages.’
‘As a team, we’ll always have your back, Nate. Always. (Although I hope I didn’t make matters worse with my bear hug off-camera).’
The public response was overwhelmingly positive, with many taking to social media to express their support and gratitude for Byrne's openness.
‘They are awful things. Love to him,’ one wrote.
‘So much love your way. Thank you for normalising panic attacks. This is what we need so badly: to know we are okay with being us,’ another commented.
‘Thank you for your openness and honesty. Makes it easier for others to speak up,’ a third said.
The incident also reminds us of other public figures, like Carrie Bickmore, who have spoken out about their battles with anxiety and panic attacks.
Bickmore, co-host of the Hit Network's Carrie & Tommy show, has shared her experiences with anxiety since her early twenties.
‘It’s hard, actually, to describe what I felt. It was like shame, I think, [also] embarrassment,’ she said.
‘I don’t think I really fully understood what was going on in my own head. I think talking about it almost made me feel more anxious, so I just kept it in my own head.’
Credit: ABC News Australia / YouTube
In related news, Lisa Millar announced her departure from ABC News Breakfast after a five-year stint as co-host.
She revealed her next chapter would involve working on other ABC projects, including Back Roads and Muster Dogs. You can read more about it here.
Have you experienced similar challenges before, or do you know someone who has? Your insights might be helpful. Feel free to share them in the comments below.
The reason behind this interruption was not a technical glitch or breaking news but something deeply personal and human: a panic attack.
The incident occurred on a seemingly ordinary Tuesday morning as Byrne delivered Queensland's weather report.
He calmly requested to hand it back to his co-presenters, Lisa Millar and Michael Rowland.
Nate Byrne had to pause a live broadcast on ABC News Breakfast due to a panic attack. Credit: ABC News Australia / YouTube
'I'm actually going to need to stop for a second,' he said.
‘Some of you may know that I occasionally get affected by some panic attacks, and actually, that’s happening right now.’
‘Lisa, maybe I could hand it back to you.’
Byrne's transparency about his mental health challenges is not new.
In 2022, he penned a candid piece about his experiences with on-air panic attacks, describing his first encounter with the condition as a 'terrifying experience' that reshaped his view on mental health.
His co-presenter, Lisa Millar, highlighted this article and suggested revisiting it on social media to encourage openness and discussion.
‘Nate wrote a great piece on the ABC online website about this, and I reckon we might re-up it, put it on our socials, so you can have a bit of a read because it’s fantastic that he has been so open and transparent about it,’ she said.
‘The response when he first wrote about it and spoke about it was that everyone said, “Oh thank god, Nate’s not perfect, we thought he was perfect, but actually he’s now sharing something”.’
Upon returning to the show, Byrne apologised to viewers, but his colleagues quickly offered support.
‘You’ve been very honest before about getting panic attacks on air, and it’s great for people to know that it can happen to anyone,’ Millar assured him.
Rowland lightened the mood with a joke about having to take over the weather report.
‘Gave me a scare because I thought I’d have to finish doing the weather report,’ he said.
Byrne expressed his gratitude to his team for their support during the attack before the broadcast continued.
Rowland has since posted about the incident on social media, reassuring everyone that Byrne is doing fine after the event.
‘Nate’s open about his panic attacks — he’s even written about them before — and he’s doing okay!’ He posted on social media.
‘Thank you for all the supportive messages.’
‘As a team, we’ll always have your back, Nate. Always. (Although I hope I didn’t make matters worse with my bear hug off-camera).’
The public response was overwhelmingly positive, with many taking to social media to express their support and gratitude for Byrne's openness.
‘They are awful things. Love to him,’ one wrote.
‘So much love your way. Thank you for normalising panic attacks. This is what we need so badly: to know we are okay with being us,’ another commented.
‘Thank you for your openness and honesty. Makes it easier for others to speak up,’ a third said.
The incident also reminds us of other public figures, like Carrie Bickmore, who have spoken out about their battles with anxiety and panic attacks.
Bickmore, co-host of the Hit Network's Carrie & Tommy show, has shared her experiences with anxiety since her early twenties.
‘It’s hard, actually, to describe what I felt. It was like shame, I think, [also] embarrassment,’ she said.
‘I don’t think I really fully understood what was going on in my own head. I think talking about it almost made me feel more anxious, so I just kept it in my own head.’
Credit: ABC News Australia / YouTube
In related news, Lisa Millar announced her departure from ABC News Breakfast after a five-year stint as co-host.
She revealed her next chapter would involve working on other ABC projects, including Back Roads and Muster Dogs. You can read more about it here.
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