Anthony Albanese has issued an “unequivocal” apology following days of backlash for telling a comedy podcast he would “shag” Aussie pop star Kylie Minogue if his recent marriage with Jodie Haydon went “tits up”.
In a game of “shag, marry, or date” of female Australian celebrities on the “Bush Deep” podcast, the Prime Minister selected Minogue for “all of the above” — adding “she’s terrific”.
Mr Albanese initially demurred and tried to avoid answering — pointing out that he had just gotten married six months prior before he eventually relented after a follow up question by host and comedian Nikki Osborne.
The comments have been widely condemned by women across the political spectrum, prompting an apology on Monday morning.
Criticisms have come from Independent MP Zali Steggall, Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson and anti-female objectification group Collective Shout.
It prompted a one-line statement released by the Prime Minister’s office: “I apologise unequivocally for the comments”.
Some members of his government defended his broader record on gender equality, one Labor insider criticised the naivety of the PM and his office not to prepare accordingly.
“If you’ve ever seen any of her YouTube videos you will know her entire subject is cheap sex gags. There’s no way anyone prepping for this did not understand most of the gags would be about sex,” they told The Nightly.
His appearance on the podcast came less than a month after Osborne had hosted OnlyFans star Annie Knight where they duo role played having group sex and turning regular sentences into dirty talk.
On a recent episode with Canadian “raunchy” comedian Steph Tolev — is a self-described “Filth Queen” — the pair joked she would make a killing off the video because her bare feet were out.
They also joked about the physical descriptions of their vaginas.
While doing a sketch of The Bachelor from the TV series during an episode with Australian stand-up comedian Troy Kinne, Osborne mistook the rose as the man’s penis.
Osborne has also played her “shag, marry, or date” game with beloved French-Australian celebrity chef Manu Feildel best known as a judge on the hit cooking competition series My Kitchen Rules.
The unfortunate remarks aren’t the first time Mr Albanese has had to make a prompt apology.
During a rapid fire word association game at a Heard Sun event in February, the PM had said “difficult” when asked about former Australian of the Year, human rights advocate and child sex assault survivor Grace Tame.
He also faced criticism in late 2024 in Parliament when he used Tourette syndrome as an insult against opposition members. The PM had swiftly retracted the taunt and apologised.
The Prime Minister’s office didn’t put out an official transcript for the podcast like they previously have for other similar appearances.
It includes appearances on podcasts by The Daily Aus, The Guardian, as well as Mamamia’s “The Quicky”, Seven’s “The Issue” and Nine newspapers “Inside politics”.
Labor frontbencher and Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek defended his government’s broader record on gender equality.
“What the Prime Minister is saying is that he’s a ‘fan of Kylie Minogue’. I guess that puts him in a group with millions of other Australians, including me,” she said.
“I’m a big fan of Kylie’s as well.
“What I’d say on women’s equality in this country is no government’s been better for it, and no prime minister’s been better for it.”
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan also declined to criticise his comment.
“I have not heard the interview. I understand this is something that was in a more lighthearted manner,” Ms Allan said when asked at a press conference on Monday if she thought Mr Albanese’s remarks were appropriate.
Another senior Albanese government figure told The Nightly they didn’t expect the comments to cause any long-term damage to the Prime Minister’s standing with voters.
“The PM’s apologised, but this sort of banter is not unusual in Australia — thousands of similar conversations are held around the country every day,” the Minister and close ally of Mr Albanese tells The Nightly.
Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic said his apology on Monday morning was appropriate.
“We all do this job, and it has its difficult times when you’re asked questions that are uncomfortable, but you need to answer those in ways that are authentic to you,” Senator Kovacic said.
“I think it’s right that the Prime Minister has apologised.”
While One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce said he wasn’t going to push the PM hard on the remarks.
“We’re going to sort of tear him to pieces? I think he just fell into a trap, which he shouldn’t have fallen into,” Mr Joyce told Sunrise.
PM also spoke on the podcast about his relationship with his now wife.
“Six months in (to marriage),” the PM said, to which Osborne asked if they were “still bonking like rabbits?” in their honeymoon period.
“Well, you know, when we have time. After the footy, it’s always a good aphrodisiac — a Souths win,” the PM said.
Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles also defended Mr Albanese while he was out of the country on official business in Fiji — insisting it was just a “different” kind of conversation for a politician.
“The Prime Minister has apologised unequivocally, so that’s the first point to make,” he told ABC Radio National on Monday.
“I think from time to time we do interviews, which are obviously different to the one that you and I are doing now.
“I mean, our prime minister is utterly committed to the place of women within our society and the elevation of women in our society.
“Under this government the gender pay gap is the lowest that it has ever been on record.
“It’s the first government ever to have had a majority of women in the caucus.”
Politicians across the political spectrum have been ramping up their interviews with FM radio networks, podcasters, Youtubers, influencers and commentators in recent years.
The increasing engagement with the new media outlets to reach new audiences was highlighted during the 2025 election when leaders frequently sat down with the creators.
Media personality Abbie Chatfield emerged as a key political influencer during the poll and had featured the Prime Minister on her podcast while openly expressing her bias for the Greens.
Cheek Media commentator Hannah Ferguson had also called on her followers to share content which “keeps Peter Dutton out”.
Other influencers on the scene included Konrad Benjamin from Punter’s Politics, author Trisha Jha, Freya Leach and Joel Jammal.
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