We've all had those moments of embarrassment — when something you say or do comes out wrong, or a joke falls totally flat — but imagine being on camera while having this happen! That's a whole other ballgame…

A similar ill-timed realisation happened to Sunrise presenter Shaun White recently, when he asked fellow presenter Natalie Barr how her beloved Samoyed dog Madonna was doing.

Unfortunately, no one had informed Shaun that the beloved family pet had died last year.

The moment came during a segment which discussed Australians' spending habits with regards to their pets, with the team being surprised to learn that Aussies spent more than $33 billion in 2022 on their furry friends.

'If we do a story about something happening to a dog or a cat, people care more about that than a human. They just do. Don’t you think?' Nat asked.

'You do,' David ‘Kochie’ Koch responded, 'You’re bit of an animal lover.'

‘I (may not be) one of them, but a lot of people do,’ she said.

Enter Shaun, who ever so innocently asked: 'How’s Madonna going?'

In the space of a few microseconds that might as well have been a lifetime, Nat responded: ‘Madonna had to be put down.’

Nat Barr was put into a rather awkward spot when presenter Shaun White asked an innocent question. Image Credit: Instagram/@sunriseon7

After which Kochie, as well as Edwina Bartholomew and Mark Beretta who were also present, all let out groans at the breach of a touchy subject.

‘Shaun, why did you bring that up?’ Kochie asked in faux shock.

‘I did not know, I’m sorry,’ Shaun replied, visibly regretting his well-meaning question.

‘Did you not know? We had to have him put down — and Flash (Nat’s cat), we had to have put down last year too,’ Nat shared.

Unable to hold their thoughts, Bartholomew and Berretta quickly chimed in.

‘She’d just gotten over it,’ Mark said, with Edwina adding ‘That’s not even a stitch-up, poor Shaun didn’t even know.’

Nat added: ‘Thanks for bringing up my dead animals.’ Yikes!

The Sunrise crew could also be heard laughing off-camera at the awkwardness of the whole exchange, which perhaps lightened the mood a bit.

Shaun White visibly regretted asking Nat how her pet dog was doing, unaware that it had to be put down some time ago. Image Credit: Instagram/@sunriseon7

Shaun apologised again, and Nat was kind enough to let the whole thing slide.

‘It’s nature,' she said, 'We all know it has to happen. I’ve come to terms with it.'

Well hopefully Nat has!

Key Takeaways

• Sunrise presenter Shaun White asked a well-meaning but poorly timed question regarding Natalie Barr’s deceased pet.
• The other presenters jokingly milked the blunder, and Nat reassured him that it was okay.
• Shaun apologized multiple times and Nat said it was part of life to lose a pet.
• The other presenters comforted Natalie and joked to lighten the mood.
• Losing a pet can be a painful experience, but there are ways one can cope with such a loss.

On the topic of losing pets, if you’re anything like us here at the SDC, things can get really tough when processing the death of a beloved companion like a dog or a cat.

It's never easy to say goodbye to a pet, and the sudden loss can come as a shock to both children and adults alike.

Griefline, a non profit organisation partly funded by the Australian government, also recommends a few simple tips to get through such a tough time:

• Allow yourself to be sad; it’s natural to have an emotional response to the loss of a beloved animal
• You may opt to find a way to remember your pet by like planting a tree or framing a photo of your pet
• If possible, keep in touch with support groups which can help guide you through processing your emotions
• Understand how your grief manifests so can be better prepared to adjust and seek support when necessary
• Know that grief is rarely ever a simple thing that starts and ends — acknowledge that there will be good days and bad days ahead.

Nat Barr with her beloved pet Madonna in 2015. Image Credit: Facebook/Sunrise

If you or anyone you know are going through a rough time after the loss of a pet, please consider reaching Griefline at 1300 845 745 on weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm AEDT.

In the meantime, you might be interested in other Sunrise stories such as that one time Nat and Kochie were stumped by a viral brain teaser, or when Sam Mac proudly presented an x-rated ‘masterpiece’ based on a show host.

So, what are your thoughts on this story? How do you think Nat handled Shaun White’s question?

Tell us your thoughts below!

Source: Instagram/@sunriseon7​

 

[Suzanne rose]

I watched this segment and it wasn't as bad as it seemed, Nat was OK with it , Shaun just hadn't heard that Nats dog was gone.

 

[Gsr]

At least with animals you get the choice to have them put down so they don’t suffer, sad as it is, it is never as bad as watching a family member endure a painful, often drawn out, end to their life. Good memories versus bad memories.

 

[Macarj]

At least with animals you get the choice to have them put down so they don’t suffer, sad as it is, it is never as bad as watching a family member endure a painful, often drawn out, end to their life. Good memories versus bad memories.

Yeah if I get too bad I'll put myself down

 

[Suzanne rose]

At least with animals you get the choice to have them put down so they don’t suffer, sad as it is, it is never as bad as watching a family member endure a painful, often drawn out, end to their life. Good memories versus bad memories.

I just did this... watch my uncle die from a horrible death. He was in palative care for 12 months and the past month gangrene spread right through his body. My daughter said once sepsis goes through you usually die in 24 to 48 hours . He was like this for 1 month. Screaming whenever his pain relief wore off . I buried him on Monday, I also did the eulogy which I ended ' he was a warrior to the end , fighting a battle not many could have done.