You can't be having a worse day than this Today Show production assistant.

Today is not a good day to be working behind the scenes of the Today Show.

A poor production assistant drew the shortest of short straws this morning when she was asked (forced?) to volunteer for an odd segment we are going call Let’s-see-how-quickly-we-can-get-our-production-assistant-to-cry-on-air.

Actually titled DIY Dad: Ballet buns in a heartbeat, TV presenter and former Better Homes and Gardens chippie Rob Palmer took to the set to demonstrate his unique way of styling his daughter’s hair. Using a vacuum cleaner.

Taking a hairbrush and vacuum cleaner, Palmer took to the production assistant's hair like a cleaner to dirty floorboards: with gusto and without reservation.

The following minute is painful viewing for all those who understand the struggle of having one or two strands of hair pulled fair too tightly in their ponytail, with the vacuum sucking up the stray strands of hair.

The production assistant Gemma did a brave job but looked at times to be fighting back tears.

Sylvia Jeffreys looked concerned and questioned the necessity of Palmer's use of a vacuum cleaner to achieve the look. "I'm not sure a brush couldn't have achieved that?"

Viewers jumped on social media to voice their sympathy for the production assistant, worrying about the state of her hair/head/wellbeing following the segment.

"This was so stupid. This poor girls head must be throbbing. She could've done 10 or 20 ponytails by herself in the time he took and without injury. But it is probably what a Dad trying to do his daughters hair would be like," one wrote.

"What a good sport this lovely girl is! I hope she receives more money and a visit to the hairdresser," another acknowledged.