Australian PM Albanese apologizes for Kylie podcast remarks

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued an apology for comments he made about pop star Kylie Minogue during a recent podcast interview. The Prime Minister said he apologizes unequivocally for the remarks, which were made during an episode of comedian Nikki Osborne's "Bush Deep" podcast that aired last Friday.

During the informal interview, Osborne asked Albanese to play a game of "shag, marry, or date," naming Minogue, Nicole Kidman, and Rhonda Burchmore as options. Albanese initially noted he had only been married to Jodie Haydon for six months, having wed in November 2025. After Osborne pressed him, he responded, "Kylie, clearly," and when asked to clarify, said, "All of the above... she's terrific."

The comments drew swift criticism from political opponents. Shadow Minister for Communications Sarah Henderson labeled them disrespectful to women, embarrassing, and claimed they demeaned the office of Prime Minister. Independent MP Dai Le called the remarks unbecoming of a gentleman, while One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce said the comments were "a little bit below" and that Albanese did not need to "play a stupid game." Opposition frontbencher Andrew Bragg also stated...