Greg James and his wife have shut down critics on social media following the death of their dog.
The BBC Radio 1 broadcaster, 40, and his wife of eight years, Bella Mackie, 43, announced on Tuesday that Barney had been put down, prompting an outpouring of love from fans and colleagues.
Barney was hugely popular with listeners and co-stars – he even had his own dedicated segment on the airwaves titled Barney, Are You There?!
Sharing the ‘horrible news’ of his death, the presenter admitted that he ‘can’t get his head around it’ but is taking comfort in knowing it was ‘peaceful’.
Meanwhile, Bella had made it known that she would be promoting her new book, Claws Out!, while navigating her grief, as its release is scheduled for August 27.
However, her promotional content was not met with a positive reaction from all Instagram users.
Today, she shared a smiley selfie, showing herself holding her new book, with the caption: ‘First review is in! It’s some very welcome good news at a very sad time…’
In the comments, one person wrote: ‘Too soon before your pup died!!’, causing Bella to reply abruptly with: ‘F**k you’.
Greg then weighed in, responding to the troll: ‘our grief and how we deal with it is absolutely nothing to do with you. Or more simply put, what Bella just said.’
Bella later screenshotted the harsh comment and shared it on her Story, adding: ‘Gave me an odd moment of dark comedy actually so thanks for your deranged message I guess?’
The writer was defended by fans, too, who urged the critic to ‘delete’ their comment.
@angelinalinker schooled them on how ‘part of Bella’s contract will have that she has to do promo at certain times’, while @ojfab said: ‘she’s literally crying in her story talking about it. People still have to work and get on with life too. Even if it’s s****y’.
‘Who are you telling someone what they can and can’t do while grieving?’, echoed @craigmc1983.
In his original statement, Greg, who adopted Barney with Bella from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2019, requested that followers not ‘pile in with DMs’ for the couple as they process their loss. He also turned off comments on his post.
Greg added that the pair were with him ‘at home in the garden in the sunshine’ when he went, but he still ‘can’t stop crying’.
He went on to acknowledge how ‘loved’ Barney, who had his own Insta page with over 60,000 followers, was and said he is ‘completely floored’ by his death.
‘I can’t believe our little mate has gone and it’s very real and very raw and just so f***ing sad. He was the best,’ he concluded.
He was absent from the radio the next day, with Charlie Hedges stepping in and calling Greg – who hasn’t had an easy few months, what with his dad also being admitted to intensive care – ‘one of the best people on the planet’.
‘We love you, Greg, so, so much – and want to keep the vibes positive for him today and have some fun,’ she added to listeners.
‘Of course, you’re never, ever gonna disappoint him and let him down. You’re sending in so many beautiful messages, so thank you very much, and I will pass them on to him, for sure.’
Indeed, Barney’s name came up regularly in anecdotes on Greg’s shows, and his health struggles were documented online.
Their four-legged friend suffered from severe joint issues, including extensive arthritis, and underwent numerous operations to improve his mobility.
It’s unknown what conditions he may have been battling when he died, but one thing is for sure, and that’s that he was feeling the love in his final weeks.
Barney was inundated with birthday wishes in June when he turned eight.
Alongside a video of him and Bella singing to him, Greg wrote at the time: ‘Happy Birthday to the greatest idiot in the world. Eight years ago he didn’t know we existed and I’ll be forever grateful to the b******s that gave him to Battersea which eventually led him to us. He’s ruined our lives in the best possible way and I wouldn’t change any of it’.
Greg also previously told Peta that welcoming Barney into his life and teaching him how to ‘trust a human again’ had been ‘life-affirming’.
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