Barnaby Joyce has been lambasted in a live TV interview with Peter Stefanovic, as the news host bluntly asked the former deputy prime minister to elaborate on the nature of his extra-marital relationships.

The disgraced MP appeared on the Today show on Saturday morning to promote the release of his new book, Weatherboard and Iron: a semi-autobiographical account of both his political and personal life.

It was the latter that appeared to be of most interest to hosts Peter Stefanovic and Allison Langdon, however, as they probed Joyce on one particular excerpt of the book where he admits he 'spent years pursuing women'.

'I want to know what exactly do you mean by that?' Stefanovic enquired. 'What does that involve?'

A clearly uncomfortable Joyce claimed that he meant he became more 'isolated' as he progressed in his career and spent more and more time on the road, and that he was 'trying to be as honest as I could.'

Stefanovic relentless pursued the point, asking 'When you say pursuing women, where do you draw the line?'

'It wasn't in the carnal sense,' Joyce clarified, before Stefanovic demanded 'How many women are we talking about here?'

Joyce, seemingly incredulous, sighed and stumbled through his response before diverting the conversation towards issues in regional areas.

When Stefanovic asked 'Did you have any affairs with anyone other than Vikki?', Joyce bit back, asking: 'Have you had any affairs Pete?'

The Today show host quickly replied 'No', and noted that the interview was about Joyce as he is 'the one that has written the book.'

Earlier in the year, Joyce became the subject of mass media scrutiny after it was revealed that he had been in an affair with, and impregnated, his former staffer Vikki Campion.

That controversy ultimately forced him to step down from his position as deputy prime minister and Nationals party leader.