Nate Byrne has previously written about experiencing panic attacks on-air.
Nate Byrne, an Australian weather presenter, suffered a panic attack during a live broadcast on Tuesday morning.
While
reporting on Queensland weather during ABC’s News Breakfast, Byrne said, “I’m actually going to need to stop for a second,” before turning to the show’s on-air anchors for help so that he could recover off-camera.
“Some of you may know that I occasionally get affected by some panic attacks, and actually, that’s happening right now. Lisa, maybe I could hand back to you,” he said. Show hosts Lisa Millar and Michael Rowland then stepped in.
Byrne has previously written about his struggles with panic attacks, including his first experience occurring live on television.
In the piece on
ABC online, Byrne wrote, “I had my first-ever panic attack live on TV. It was absolutely terrifying, and completely reshaped my understanding of mental health.”
“As I stood there trying to make it sound like I wasn’t slightly puffed (probably not a great look for breakfast TV, I thought), all of a sudden, my body started tingling, my heart rate rose and I realized I was drenched in sweat.”
“Nate wrote a great piece on the ABC online website about this, and I reckon we might re-up it, put it on our socials, so you can have a bit of a read because it’s fantastic that he has been so open and transparent about it,” Millar told viewers.
Following a brief hiatus, Byrne returned to the program and was met with understanding and support from his colleagues. “Sorry if I gave anybody a bit of a scare,” Byrne said.
Millar responded, “You’ve been very honest before about getting panic attacks on air and it’s great for people to know that it can happen to anyone.”
According to the Mayo Clinic’s online
page, a panic attack is “a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause.”
“Panic attacks can be very frightening. When panic attacks occur, you might think you’re losing control, having a heart attack, or even dying,” the page says.
The incident has sparked a conversation about mental health and the importance of normalizing these experiences.
Support for Byrne
Social media has been flooded with messages of support for Byrne, praising his courage and honesty in sharing his story.One user on X, formerly Twitter,
posted, “What a little understanding and caring looks like when someone suffers a mental health episode. No gaslighting or blame, just understanding and love for a colleague.”
One social media sympathized with Byne, sharing his own struggles with panic attacks and suggesting Byrne try a Beta-Blocker, to which Byrne
responded, “I have, and they worked a treat, but I don’t need them every day—this only happens once a year or so for me. I reckon people who suffer should definitely talk about it with their doctors, though.”
Another viewer
posted, “Absolute respect and admiration for
@SciNate in being so open about this and how he (and his amazing colleagues) handle it.”
