Weather Man's Cat Crashes Into His Live Forecast And Now She's A 'Co-Host' On His Show

Apr 24, 2020 by apost team

This April, Indiana 14's First Alert Chief Meteorologist Jeff Lyons was delivering his weather forecasts from his living room at home due to the lockdown and closure of office spaces when his pet cat, Betty, decided that she would co-host the program.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many TV production studios having to shut down indefinitely, but that doesn’t mean viewers have to do without their favorite shows and news broadcasts.

From Jimmy Kimmel to Conan O'Brien to Stephen Colbert, many talk show hosts are broadcasting from the comfort of their homes during the lockdown. This is also the case for Indiana’s 14 First Alert Chief Meteorologist Jeff Lyons, who set up a green screen in his living room in order to continue to give the weather forecast from his home. While he usually films alone, he recently welcomed a furry visitor on-screen—his ten-year-old cat, Betty.

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Betty made her debut in earlier this month when she became curious about her human's home studio. Jeff then picked her up and cradled her in his arms while he continued to report on the weather. Viewers really enjoyed seeing Betty doing the broadcast with Jeff that she has become a regular co-presenter, and she’s even got her superbar to display her title, “Betty the Weather Cat”.

It isn't always easy, however, to get Betty to behave professionally. In the programs, Jeff is often seen having to bait her with some ham. “Two hams on the screen and a little ham on my fingers made it work…at least for a while,” he said in one recent broadcast. “Why do I get the feeling I’m performing tricks for the cat instead of the other way around?”

The weatherman recently started incorporating a “Betty the Weather Cat tracker,” allowing him to keep track of who is watching his reports around the world and Betty even has her own instagram page now. However, Jeff worries that her new-found fame will get a little too much for her to handle. In an interview with My Modern Met, he said he worries that her new-found fame will get a little too much for her to handle.

“Of course, she’s 10 years old, so can be a little crabby when I put her out of her comfort zone… but then again, aren’t we all?”

Working from home is proving to be a good thing for a lot of us. Should we make it permanent? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and pass the story of weather duo Jeff and Betty to your friends and family.