Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued a six-word apology after sparking widespread backlash for comments made about pop star Kylie Minogue during a podcast interview. The apology, delivered on Monday, read: "I apologise unequivocally for the comments."
Podcast gaffe sparks controversy
The controversy began when Albanese appeared on Nova's Bush Deep podcast, hosted by comedian Nikki Osborne in character as 'Bushie'. During the interview, Osborne asked Albanese to play a game of "shag, marry or date" featuring iconic Australians, including Minogue, Nicole Kidman, and others. Initially, Albanese tried to avoid answering, stating, "I've just got married, I'm only six months in." Osborne pressed on, asking, "But if it goes t*ts up?" Albanese eventually responded, "Kylie, clearly," and when asked if he would marry, shag, and date her, he replied, "All of the above. She's terrific."
Political backlash
The comments drew sharp criticism from across the political spectrum. Independent MP Zali Steggall called it "entirely inappropriate for the prime minister to participate in such a game," adding that Albanese should "learn to push back, lead by example and call it out as sexist." Liberal shadow minister for communications Sarah Henderson said the remarks were "disrespectful to women, embarrassing to Australians, and demean the office of Prime Minister." Fellow Liberal Andrew Bragg told ABC Radio National: "I think these comments were beneath his office and I think he shouldn't have said them. It's good that he's apologised, but he shouldn't have said it in the first place."
Defence from allies
Despite the backlash, Albanese received support from within his party. Frontbencher Tanya Plibersek told 7NEWS: "If what the prime minister is saying is he's a fan of Kylie Minogue, I guess that puts him in a group with millions of other Australians, including me." She highlighted Albanese's record on gender equality, noting that his government was the first to have equal numbers of men and women in cabinet and a majority of women in the caucus. Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles also defended Albanese, stating: "The prime minister has apologised unequivocally. The government that the prime minister leads is the first government in our nation's history which has had an equality in terms of the numbers of men and women in cabinet."
Broader context
The incident comes amid ongoing debates about sexism in Australian politics. Critics pointed to former Prime Minister Scott Morrison's 2021 comment that it was a "triumph of democracy" that women protesting gendered violence weren't "met with bullets." Albanese's apology was issued as he traveled to Fiji to sign a major treaty with the island nation and meet with Pacific leaders and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
