Margin Call: Barnaby Joyce and Vikki Campion’s interview already in the can

Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and his partner Vikki Campion pictured at Canberra airport in March. Picture: Kym Smith

Former deputy prime minister turned Nationals backbencher and now father of five Barnaby Joyce has already filmed his controversial $150,000 interview with the Seven Network’s Sunday Night flagship current affairs program.

Margin Call understands the top dollar sit down with the separated Joyce and his new partner Vikki Campion, along with their new baby Sebastian was done over the weekend.

Some smaller snippets were also recorded by Seven last Thursday and Friday.

The interview is scheduled to air on the Kerry Stokes-controlled network this Sunday night.

News that the Member for New England and his former media adviser Campion have accepted monies from the Tim Worner-run Seven to tell their story has drawn strong criticism from the politician’s conservative colleagues.

Revenue Minister Kelly O’Dwyer today said Joyce’s deal with Seven was “disgusting”, while Tassie Liberal Senator Eric Abetz said it was something he would not do.

It is understood Joyce and Campion were negotiating directly with Seven and its Hugh Marks-led rival Nine.

Joyce himself directly contacting Nine’s 60 Minutes early last week indicating he was willing to sell his story.

Nine is believed to have learned of Joyce and Campion’s deal with Seven last Friday.

The interview was conducted by Seven reporter Alex Cullen and produced by Paul Waterhouse. It will be the first time that Campion has spoken publicly since the couple were outed by the media.

Waterhouse was the journo on the other side of office fisticuffs at Seven with fellow current affairs executive producer Mark Llewellyn back in 2014.

The incident sparked an internal investigation at Sunday Night. Llewellyn, who now works at Nine, was later taken off the show.

Despite Nine’s similar appetite for the Joyce yarn, Margin Call can really think of no better home for the telling of a controversial romantic tale like that of Joyce and his former adviser.

It was Seven that was rocked in 2016-17 by boss Worner’s extra marital affair with former executive personal assistant Amber Harrison.

Nine might have Sophie Monk and Love Island, but Seven is hoping for a ratings winner with Joyce and his new family.

Australian commercial viewers aren’t short of scarlet offerings right now.

Read the full Margin Call column tomorrow in print and online.