Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has apologized “unequivocally” for comments he made about popstar Kylie Minogue in a podcast interview last week, after a wave of condemnation from politicians and the public.
The leader made an appearance on the Bush Deep podcast with comedian Nikki Osborne, who asked him during a 20-minute interview whether he would “shag, marry or date” Minogue, actress Nicole Kidman, or entertainer Rhonda Burchmore.
After initially trying to avoid the question, Albanese said: “Oh, Kylie, clearly.”
The Backlash
The remarks were quickly met with condemnation. Community Strong MP Zali Steggall called them “entirely inappropriate,” adding that Albanese “needs to learn to push back, lead by example and call it out as sexist.”
Shadow Communications Minister Sarah Henderson said in a post on X that the comments were “disrespectful to women, embarrassing to Australians and demean the office of Prime Minister.”
In a one-line statement issued early on Monday, the prime minister said: “I apologise unequivocally for the comments.”
The Interview
The remarks were made during an interview that took place in the prime minister’s official residence in Canberra and were released at the end of last week. After Osborne first posed the question, Albanese, who married his partner Jodie Haydon in November, initially responded: “I’ve just got married, I’m only six months in.”
But after being pushed by Osborne, he added: “Oh, Kylie, clearly.”
“You’d marry Kylie, and shag her, and date her?” Osborne said. “All of the above,” Albanese said. “She’s terrific.”
The Government’s Response
Richard Marles, who is acting prime minister while Albanese is on a visit to the Pacific, told ABC that the government was “utterly committed” to the elevation of women in society. “From time to time, we obviously do different interviews to the one we are doing now,” Marles said.
He added that “the government that the PM leads is the first in history that has had equality in terms of the number of men and women in the cabinet.”
During the same podcast, Albanese was also asked about the worst gift he had received on an overseas trip. He said a “strange” but ultimately “quite good” gift had come from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi: two melons. Osborne then made a comment comparing the Japanese leader to Pamela Anderson, prompting Albanese to smile and gesture in response.
The Bottom Line
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has apologized for comments he made about pop star Kylie Minogue during a podcast interview, saying they were “inappropriate.” The remarks sparked criticism from politicians who called them sexist and disrespectful to women. Albanese had been asked by the comedian host whether he would “shag, marry or date” Minogue. The apology came after a wave of condemnation from across the political spectrum.
