Barnaby Joyce reveals the truth behind infamous video of his late-night planter box fall: ‘One bottle too many’
Barnaby Joyce has admitted he had "one bottle too many" before falling from a planter box onto a Canberra footpath in February 2024, having previously attributed the late-night incident to a mix of alcohol and prescription medication. The now-One Nation MP made the admission during Monday's episode of ABC's Australian Story, marking a shift from earlier explanations, including one given to Sky News host Andrew Bolt, in which he denied having a drinking problem. The episode also explored the political fallout, with former Nationals leader David Littleproud saying the footage ended any prospect of Joyce returning to the party's leadership.
The footage, first published by the Daily Mail, showed the former deputy prime minister lying on Lonsdale Street in Braddon shortly before midnight, muttering on the phone to his wife, Vikki Campion. Former chief of staff Jake Smith recalled being blindsided by the story, while Smith and Campion both said Joyce was not a habitual heavy drinker but could drink heavily on occasions when he chose to. Campion said the episode led Joyce to give up alcohol for a year, and Joyce said the fallout contributed to his eventual move from the Nationals to One Nation, where he now sits alongside Pauline Hanson.
- Joyce admits he drank "one bottle too many" before his 2024 Canberra fall
- He previously blamed alcohol mixed with prescription medication
- Ex-Nationals leader says the incident ended his leadership hopes
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Barnaby Joyce is a long-serving Australian politician who has held senior roles including deputy prime minister and leader of the National Party. In February 2024, he was filmed lying on a footpath in Canberra late at night, appearing to talk on the phone to his wife, Vikki Campion, after falling from a garden planter box. The footage went public and became one of the more widely shared moments of scrutiny on his personal conduct.
At the time, Joyce gave differing explanations for what had happened, including suggesting a mix of alcohol and prescription medication was to blame, and he rejected suggestions that he had a drinking problem. The incident became politically damaging, contributing to the view among colleagues, including former Nationals leader David Littleproud, that he could not return to lead the party. Joyce has since left the Nationals and joined Pauline Hanson's One Nation.
The story matters because it touches on the accountability of public figures for their private behaviour, and on how explanations given at the time compare with what is said later. Key people involved include Joyce himself, his wife Vikki Campion, his former chief of staff Jake Smith, and Littleproud, all of whom have given their own accounts of the incident and its aftermath.