Greg James missed his BBC Radio 1 breakfast show after the death of his dog Barney. The presenter, 43, said he could not stop crying after his beloved pet had to be euthanised.
Emotional tribute to Barney
Posting a photo of Barney, he wrote: “I’m sorry to bring such horrible news but we had to put our lovely Barn to sleep earlier today. I can’t really get my head around it. But he was peaceful, we were with him at home in the garden in the sunshine and I can’t stop crying.”
James, who is married to author and journalist Bella Mackie, asked his social media followers not to inundate him or Mackie with messages as they were very upset. He added: “I know how loved this unbelievably daft farty brilliant dog was and I adored sharing him with everyone on here, but I hope you understand why comments are off and can I just ask you to not pile in with DMs particularly for Bella for a bit please. We’re completely floored by it and I can’t believe our little mate has gone and it’s very real and very raw and just so f****** sad. He was the best. Lots of love xx Ps. Not on the show tomorrow obvs x.”
Barney's legacy
James has been presenting the Radio 1 breakfast show since 2018 after taking over from Nick Grimshaw. He adopted the chocolate Labrador from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in 2019, and his pet built up a loyal fanbase as James and Mackie shared regular updates about him.
The dog was a patient of Supervet star Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, who previously said Barney had multiple treatments for his arthritic joints, including a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament.
