Body language expert analyses Barnaby Joyce Sunday Night interview

A body language expert who analysed Barnaby Joyce’s tell-all television appearance claims the former deputy prime minister bluffed his way through parts of the interview.

Diederik Gelderman paid close attention to Mr Joyce’s appearance on Channel Seven’s Sunday Night program at the weekend alongside the politician’s new partner and former staffer Vikki Campion.

Mr Gelderman claimed Mr Joyce blinked a lot throughout the interview, avoided eye-contact with the interviewer on occasions by looking down and used a glass of water to block his face.   

 

A body language expert claimed former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce ‘blinks a lot’ during his tell-all interview on Channel Seven’s Sunday Night program 

Mr Joyce 'picks up a glass and uses the drink to block his face', body language expert Diederik Gelderman claimed of the Sunday Night interview 

Mr Joyce ‘picks up a glass and uses the drink to block his face’, body language expert Diederik Gelderman claimed of the Sunday Night interview 

‘I think she’s being fairly candid in most of what she says,’ Mr Gelderman claimed.

‘Aside from some obvious things like not answering the question, which he did quite consistently – but he is a politician – he doesn’t look at the interviewer when he’s answering, blinks a lot, which is called eye blocking, turns his head away, picks up a glass and uses the drink to block his face, looks sideways and looks down.’

Mr Gelderman said there were instances where Mr Joyce appeared to have been saying certain things which he might not mean.

‘On occasion he will say something but shake his head to the left and right. We shake our heads when we mean no,’ Mr Gelderman said.    

‘A five-year-old kid puts his hand infront of his face, or eyes, adult bodies also leak indicative signs.’

The former deputy prime minister, pictured with his new partner Vikki Campion, also 'doesn't look at the interviewer when he's answering', Mr Gelderman claimed 

The former deputy prime minister, pictured with his new partner Vikki Campion, also ‘doesn’t look at the interviewer when he’s answering’, Mr Gelderman claimed 

But Mr Gelderman claimed during the Sunday Night interview, he ‘didn’t see any (bluffing) towards Vikki, just towards the interviewer’. 

‘My gut feel of him was a lot… going on, a lot more under surface that he hasn’t talked about.’

Mr Gelderman claimed the bulk of what he got from Vikki Campion during the interview was that she was honest and in love with Mr Joyce but she was obviously very upset. 

He also claimed he got the impression Mr Joyce obviously cares very much for his four daughters (and) he didn’t want to hurt them.

He claimed he couldn’t tell if Mr Joyce had issues with his estranged wife.      

Mr Joyce and his new partner accepted $150,000 from the Seven Network to tell their side of the political scandal in an interview on Sunday.

In the interview, which aired less than two months after baby Sebastian was born, the couple aired their dirty laundry to 614,000 Australian viewers.

Mr Joyce admitted to 'living a lie' by continuing his public relationship with his wife while secretly being involved with Ms Campion (Barnaby Joyce is pictured with his estranged wife Natalie, and their four daughters in 2015)

Mr Joyce admitted to ‘living a lie’ by continuing his public relationship with his wife while secretly being involved with Ms Campion (Barnaby Joyce is pictured with his estranged wife Natalie, and their four daughters in 2015)

Another body language and voice expert Dr Louise Mahler, who weighed in on the controversial interview, said Ms Campion’s body language suggested a lack of love for the politician.

‘There were no signs of affection between them,’ she claimed to The Daily Telegraph. 

‘They are two people, not a couple, doing the best in a bad situation.’ 

Dr Mahler also noted Ms Campion walked in and sat down before Mr Joyce.

She said this suggested the former media adviser took the lead in the relationship.

Dr Mahler also noticed Ms Campion often interrupted Mr Joyce, even turning her body away from him throughout.  

She claimed this was a sign the couple argued often. 

Despite putting on a brave face, Ms Campion appeared to be struggling with the pressure of the situation, Dr Mahler claimed.  

Mr Joyce is estranged from his wife of 24 years Natalie and their four adult daughters as a result of the extramarital affair that forced him to quit as Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister.

Mr Joyce is now estranged from his wife of 24 years, Natalie (pictured together in 2016) 

Mr Joyce is now estranged from his wife of 24 years, Natalie (pictured together in 2016) 

The backbench MP for the New South Wales seat of New England told the Seven Network he had let his family down.

‘I failed, I failed, I failed, I failed, I failed,’ he said.  

The former accountant’s salary has also halved from $416,000 to $203,000 after the affair raised character questions about the Catholic, family values politician who had last year campaigned against gay marriage.

Despite the personal and political pain the relationship caused her boyfriend, Vikki Campion said that was the price of love.

‘I couldn’t help it. You can’t help who you fall in love with,’ she said.

HOW THE BARNABY JOYCE AFFAIR UNFOLDED

2016

May – Vikki Campion assists Barnaby Joyce’s election campaign as media adviser, having previously worked with NSW government ministers and News Corp

August – Campion joins Joyce’s staff. She splits with fiance John Bergin, three months before they were due to wed. Friendship develops between Joyce and Campion

December – Chief of staff Di Hallam reportedly seeks Joyce’s approval to have Campion transferred out of office. Hallam later quits to take up departmental role

2017

February – Campion is photographed in a Sydney bar with Joyce, as revealed by Daily Mail Australia

April – Barnaby’s wife Natalie reportedly confronts Campion in Tamworth. Campion goes to minister Matt Canavan office as adviser. Natalie and Barnaby seek to make marriage work

May – At New South Wales Nationals conference in Broken Hill colleagues describe Joyce as ‘a mess’

June – Natalie and Barnaby show up together at Canberra press gallery midwinter ball

July – Campion leaves her $191,000 job in Mr Canavan’s office after he quits frontbench over citizenship. She temporarily goes back to Joyce’s office

August – Campion moves to Damian Drum’s office in a social media adviser position specially created for her. He already has a media adviser. In this time she oversees just 50 posts to Facebook

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is reportedly reassured by Joyce the relationship with Campion is over. Drum says he was told the same thing. Former Joyce chief of staff Di Hallam takes up a senior position with the Inland Rail project

September – Natalie reportedly asks family friend, Catholic priest Father Frank Brennan, to counsel Joyce. Campion is seen managing Joyce media events at federal Nationals conference in Canberra

October – Campion reportedly takes stress leave. Writ issued for New England by-election after Joyce quits over dual citizenship

November – Natalie holidays in Bali with a daughter. Man in a pub in Inverell angers Joyce during election campaign by reportedly saying: ‘Say hello to your mistress’

December – Joyce wins by-election. Joyce tells parliament during same-sex marriage debate he is separated. Campion’s redundancy package is approved. They move into an Armidale property provided rent-free by businessman Greg Maguire

2018

January – Joyce and Campion holiday in north Queensland and NSW north coast

February – Joyce tells reporters Campion is now his partner. But denies she was his partner when she worked in Canavan’s office

March – Joyce casts doubt on the baby’s paternity, calling it a ‘grey area’ and claiming journalists never asked him if Ms Campion’s child was his 

April 16 – Sebastian Joyce born

May 8 – Baby boy seen for the first time

May 26 – Details emerge of Barnaby Joyce’s paid $150,000 interview

May 30 – Seven Network reveals Vikki Campion pressured to have abortion 

Source: AAP from media reports and official statements

 



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk