Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has apologised for comments he made during a podcast appearance about pop star Kylie Minogue.
“I apologise unequivocally for the comments,” the Prime Minister said in a statement on Monday.
In an interview which aired last Friday on the Bush Deep podcast, the Prime Minister joked about wanting to “shag, marry or date” the Australian performer.
“I’ve just got married, I’m only six months in,” he responded.
“But if it goes t…. up, let’s just pretend,” host Nikki Osborne probed.
“Oh, Kylie clearly,” the Prime Minister said.
“You’d marry Kylie, and shag her and date her?” Osborne asked.
“All of the above . . . she’s terrific,” Mr Albanese confirmed.
The Prime Minister married wife Jodie Haydon in November 2025 at his official residence after six years of dating.
His comments drew criticism last week, with Independent Fowler MP Dai Le labelling the comments as “unbecoming of a gentleman”.
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce described Mr Albanese’s comments as “a little bit below”.
“I’d like to break into the regular broadcasting for a special mention from the Prime Minister of Commonwealth of Australia: people Anthony would like to have sex with,” he said.
“He doesn’t need to play a stupid game. … I would have avoided the question, like most people.”
Opposition frontbencher Andrew Bragg also criticised the comments.
“These comments were beneath his office. I don’t think he should have said them. It’s good that he’s apologised, but he shouldn’t have said it in the first place.”
However, deputy prime minister Richard Marles defended Mr Albanese’s record on policies for women, while also saying the podcast appearance was different to standard political interviews.
“The government that the prime minister leads is the first government in the nation’s history which has had an equality in terms of the numbers of men and women in cabinet,” he said on ABC Radio.
“Our prime minister is utterly committed to the place of women within our society and the elevation of women within our society, and I think that’s the serious point to observe about the government that he leads.”
Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek also defended Mr Albanese.
“If what the prime minister’s saying is that he’s a fan of Kylie Minogue, I guess that puts him in (with) other Australians, including me, including me. I’m a big fan of Kylie’s as well,” she said on Sunrise.
Kylie Minogue has enjoyed an active career in entertainment from as far back as 1976, breaking out in the mid-80s as Charlene Mitchell on long-running series Neighbours before pivoting to pursue a career as a recording artist.
with AAP
