Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was forced to apologize Monday after a political and public storm erupted over his appearance on a podcast, where he was asked which of three famous women he would “shag, marry or date.”
Albanese, who married his partner Jodie Haydon in November, chose Australian pop star Kylie Minogue for all three options. After a weekend of criticism, his office issued a brief apology: “I apologize unequivocally for the comments.”
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Kylie Minogue
(Photo: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images, AP)
The controversy began after Albanese appeared on “Bush Deep,” a comedy podcast hosted by Nikki Osborne. The interview was recorded at the prime minister’s official residence in Canberra. During the long conversation, Albanese spoke about his life and years in politics, but toward the end the exchange became more personal and crude.
Osborne, who hosts the podcast in a comic persona known as “Bushie,” asked Albanese, 63, to take part in a game in which he had to choose between three famous Australian women: singer Kylie Minogue, 58; actress Nicole Kidman, 59; and entertainer Rhonda Burchmore, 66.
At first, the prime minister tried to avoid the question, saying: “I’ve just got married, I’m only six months in.” But when Osborne pushed him, he replied: “Oh, Kylie, clearly.”
“You’d marry Kylie, and shag her, and date her?” Osborne asked. “All of the above,” Albanese answered. “She’s terrific.”
Actress Nicole Kidman
(Photo: REUTERS/Daniel Cole)
Albanese himself did not use the word “shag,” but answered affirmatively to the way Osborne framed the options. That distinction, however, did little to prevent the backlash over the interview and the criticism of the prime minister’s participation in the game.
Albanese and Haydon were married in a private ceremony at the official residence in Canberra on November 29, making him the first sitting Australian prime minister to marry while in office. The two had been in a relationship for about five years before the wedding and became engaged in February 2024.
The couple’s sex life also came up during the conversation. Osborne asked Albanese whether he and his wife were still “bonking like rabbits,” and he replied: “When we have time.” Asked when they found time, the prime minister joked that a win by his favorite rugby league team, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, was “always a good aphrodisiac.”
Albanese and Jodie Haydon
(Photo: DAVID GRAY / AFP)
The remarks drew criticism from the opposition and from independent female lawmakers. Independent MP Zali Steggall called Albanese’s participation in the game “entirely inappropriate,” and said the prime minister should have refused to take part and set an example.
Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson said Albanese’s comments were “disrespectful to women, embarrassing to Australians and demean the office of Prime Minister.” Liberal MP Andrew Bragg said the remarks were beneath the dignity of the office and that the prime minister simply should not have said them. Conservative politician Barnaby Joyce also mocked Albanese, saying the comment was “a little bit beneath him,” before using the opportunity to attack the government over the cost of living and electricity bills.
Senior Labor figures, however, tried to play down the uproar. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles defended Albanese’s record on promoting women and gender equality, saying the context was a very different kind of conversation from a regular political interview.
Rhonda Burchmore
(Photo: Facebook)
“From time to time, we obviously do different interviews to the one we are doing now, but I think the other point to make here is 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 cabinet,” Marles told ABC Radio National Breakfast.
Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek also addressed the controversy and sought to make light of it, saying Albanese was hardly the only Australian who admired Kylie Minogue. Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan also defended the prime minister, saying the light and humorous nature of the podcast should be taken into account.
Rhonda Burchmore, one of the three women Albanese was asked to choose between, responded with humor. She said the prime minister was probably “intimidated by tall redheads,” a jab at his preference for Minogue over her and Kidman. Minogue herself has not publicly commented on the remarks.
The episode has also sparked a broader discussion in Australia about politicians’ efforts to move away from traditional interviews and appear on podcasts, entertainment programs and social media platforms to reach new audiences. Such appearances have become increasingly common among politicians from across the political spectrum, but Albanese’s case also illustrated the risk: The attempt to appear relaxed, funny and relatable can turn within minutes into a political storm and an official apology.