Dr Chris Brown surprised listeners on Monday when he said cats "like to be spanked" during a cheeky exchange on Triple M’s Breakfast with Beau, Cat & Woodsy, a remark that prompted laughter and online reaction.
The Bondi Vet star, 46, was discussing feline behaviour when the topic of spanking came up. After a host quipped "Cat likes to be spanked," Brown interjected: "You can come to me on this one as well. I love getting spanked. Cats live under the radar, right? Really? They love to be spanked."
Brown sought to frame the comments in clinical terms, saying cats have a specific pressure point they enjoy being touched on. "They've got one particular pressure point which they really love, which is just above the tail," he said, pinpointing the top of the animal's back toward the rear. He laughed as co-hosts tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, adding, "Feel like us… I'm trying to be professional Woodsy. Don't lead me down… you working with me brother?"
Listeners responded on social media, with many users posting amused reactions to the exchange. Radio hosts and Brown himself treated the moment as light-hearted rather than a formal behavioural briefing.
The on-air quip came days after Brown publicly confirmed a long-rumoured relationship with former Channel 10 publicist Lorraine Monforte. Appearing on Nova FM’s Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie, he acknowledged that his partner's name is Lorraine when prodded by host Wippa. Asked how long they had been together, Brown said only, "You know, time is irrelevant in love. It just drifts," and when asked if he was happy he replied, "I'm very happy. Thank you."
Brown said little about the relationship beyond confirming Monforte has met his family and has the approval of his father, Graham. Australian media reports first named Monforte as Brown’s partner and described her as a 41-year-old mother whose former role as a senior publicist at Channel 10 brought her into the broadcaster's orbit. Daily Mail Australia reported the couple split their time between Brisbane and Bondi.
Monforte, who has two children including a 10-year-old son, was among staff let go in a recent round of redundancies at Channel 10, according to media reports. She has kept details of her private life out of the public sphere; past use of the name Monforte-Guy suggests a previous marriage.
Brown, who built his public profile as a veterinarian on television and now hosts programs for Channel Seven, has historically kept his personal life private and warned that publicity can affect relationships. The recent confirmations and the radio exchange mark another moment in the veterinarian’s ongoing presence in Australian media, where light-hearted interviews and public appearances often attract social media attention.
Both the radio conversation and Brown’s brief comments about his relationship were conducted in an informal broadcast setting and treated by participants as playful. There was no scientific study cited on the segment to back up the assertion about feline preferences, and Brown framed his remarks as observations rather than formal guidance.
The radio segment and Brown’s appearance on Nova FM were broadcast this week. Media coverage of his relationship with Monforte followed earlier reporting that named her as his partner and described aspects of her background.