Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has apologized, citing singer Kylie Minogue in response to a question about who he would theoretically “marry and date”.
Albanese appeared on the Bush Deep podcast hosted by comedian Nicki Osbourne on Thursday and was asked who she would choose between Minogue, actress Nicole Kidman and performer Rhonda Birchmore.
“We’ve only been married for six months,” Albanese said, but Osborne insisted it was her choice.
“Oh, Kylie, obviously,” he said.
“Are you going to marry Kylie and have sex with her and date her?” Osbourne said.
“All of the above. She’s amazing,” he said.
Mr Osborne also asked Mr Albanese if the Prime Minister and Mrs Jodie Haydon were still “barking like rabbits”.
“Well, if I have time,” he said. “After the football. After the football. A Souths win is always a good aphrodisiac,” Albanese added, referring to the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league team.
Mr Albanese’s comments drew criticism from the opposition Liberal Party’s shadow minister for communications and digital safety, Senator Sarah Henderson, among others.
“Anthony Albanese’s whiskey-fueled comments on the podcast Deep Bush (sic) are disrespectful to women, an embarrassment to Australians and a disgrace to the office of Prime Minister,” she wrote in a post on X.
On Monday, Albanese issued an apology through his office.
“I unequivocally apologize for my comments,” he said in a statement to CNN on Monday.
CNN has reached out to Minogue’s representatives for comment.
Editor’s note: This article has been amended to correct the publication date of the podcast Bush Deep and a reference to the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league team.
