Albanese apologises after Kylie Minogue podcast comments spark backlash

Anthony Albanese apologised on Monday after remarks about Kylie Minogue on a comedy podcast triggered criticism from opposition lawmakers and women’s groups. His office issued a one-line statement: “I apologise unequivocally for the comments.”

The exchange came on Bush Deep, hosted by comedian Nikki Osborne, during a rapid-fire “shag, marry, date” segment filmed while the pair were drinking whiskey. Albanese first tried to decline, saying he had “only just got married” and was “only six months in,” but after being pressed he answered, “Oh, Kylie clearly,” before adding, “All of the above” when Osborne repeated the options. He also made comments about his sex life with Jodie Haydon and said a South Sydney Rabbitohs win was a good aphrodisiac.

The backlash was immediate in Canberra. Liberal senator Sarah Henderson said the remarks were “disrespectful to women, embarrassing to Australians and demean the office of Prime Minister.” Zali Steggall, a federal parliamentarian, called the comments sexist and “entirely inappropriate.” Reuters said the episode prompted outrage from women’s rights groups and opposition lawmakers, while Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles defended the government by pointing to its track record of elevating women.

The episode has exposed the risks of informal media for political leaders who increasingly use podcasts and unscripted interviews to reach voters outside traditional news settings. Australia’s political culture is often casual, with politicians regularly asked about sport and pop culture, but the same format can turn quickly into a test of judgement when personal banter crosses into questions of respect, gender and office.

The dispute also comes against a backdrop of heightened sensitivity inside Labor itself. ABC noted that female Labor MPs in Tasmania apologised earlier in 2026 after being overheard playing a similar “shag, shoot, marry” game about male Liberal MPs. In that context, Albanese’s comments about Minogue, Nicole Kidman and Rhonda Burchmore landed as more than a crude aside: they became a fresh measure of how carefully political leaders must handle the informal media environment they now rely on.