BBC Radio 1's Greg James 'can't stop crying' as beloved dog is put down
BBC Radio 1 star Greg James and his wife, Bella Mackie, had to put down their chocolate Labrador Barney, whom they adopted from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, on Monday (03.08.26).
Greg James “can’t stop crying” after he and his wife Bella Mckie had to put down their beloved dog.
The couple adopted Barney, a chocolate Labrador, from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2019.
Greg, 40, took to Instagram on Monday (03.08.26) and posted a picture of the pooch, with the caption: "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.
"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 (sic)."
Greg added that he was not presenting the Radio 1 Breakfast Show on Tuesday. Charlie Hedges, 40, covered him.
In April 2023, Greg revealed that Barney developed a limp and needed to have surgery on a “painfully arthritic ankle”.
He wrote in his column for The i Paper: "Last week I found myself DM-ing the Supervet himself, Noel Fitzpatrick, to work out what to do about our limping friend.
“We had met long before I rescued Barney from the clutches of the shead who dumped him at Battersea, and never did I think I’d be on the phone to him at 11pm listening to him suggest we fuse my dog’s ankle.
"By the way, how do you know if someone’s dog’s a rescue? They’ll tell you. B** dogooders. But I didn’t question any of the panic and concern I was feeling.”
Greg admitted he would have “scoffed at the idea” of paying for surgery “on someone who can’t talk and who I’m not related to”.
But he had a change of heart because Barney was “limping around the house sighing all confused and dejected”.
Greg added: "I will do anything to make sure he’s happy. Including being a human stretcher.
"He was in so much pain the other day that he yelped and collapsed dramatically on a walk.
"I then had to carry him to the car, drive to the vets, carry him out of the car and into the vets, onto the scales, off the scales, then back out of the vets, into the car again, then out of the car and into the house.
“Barney is 40kg. He might need his ankle fused but I now need spinal surgery and a walk-in bath.”
Greg continued: "I’ve worked out that the thing that makes me most upset is that you can’t tell him that it’s all going to be all right.
"I want to reassure him that we’re taking him to see that nice man off the telly that everyone fancies because he’s a superhero. A man who, if needed, could put wheels on a tortoise.
"He’s one of the world’s leading orthopaedic veterinary surgeons, adored by millions around the world, I want to explain.
“But obviously I can’t. Instead we just have to take him for boring 15-minute lead walks round the block, stop him from jumping up on the sofa and then deal with the ‘why are you being a p****’ look he gives us.”
