Australian Prime Minister Apologises for Inappropriate Comments About Kylie Minogue

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued an apology for making “inappropriate” comments about Kylie Minogue in a recent podcast appearance. The controversy stems from his guest spot on the Bush Deep podcast, hosted by comedian Nikki Osborne.

During the 20-minute interview, the host—who describes herself as a “wildly inappropriate journalist”—asked the Prime Minister to participate in a “shag, marry or date” game involving Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, and Rhonda Burchmore. While Albanese initially attempted to deflect the question by referencing his recent marriage to partner Jodie Haydon, he eventually conceded to the prompt, stating, “Oh, Kylie, clearly,” before adding, “All of the above. She’s terrific.”

🚨🇦🇺 NEW: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has apologised “unequivocally” for playing a “shag, marry, date” game on a comedy podcast

He nominated singer Kylie Minogue for all three categories during an interview with comedian Nikki Osborne

[@GuardianAus] pic.twitter.com/klgvb2kmau

— Politics Global (@PolitlcsGlobal) July 6, 2026

The remarks drew immediate criticism, with political figures labeling the comments as sexist and disrespectful to the office of the Prime Minister. Shadow Communications Minister Sarah Henderson took to social media to condemn the interview, stating that the comments were “disrespectful to women, embarrassing to Australians and demean the office of Prime Minister.”

Anthony Albanese’s whisky-fuelled comments on the ‘Deep Bush’ podcast are disrespectful to women, embarrassing to Australians and demean the office of Prime Minister.

Comedian Nikki Osborne is very good at her craft and cleverly skewered the Prime Minister throughout her… pic.twitter.com/VfrBMPMDNV

— Senator Sarah Henderson (@SenSHenderson) July 5, 2026

In response to the growing backlash, the Prime Minister released a brief statement on Monday, July 6, confirming that he wished to “apologise unequivocally for the comments.” Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles addressed the situation while Albanese was on a diplomatic visit to the Pacific, emphasizing that the current government remains “utterly committed” to gender equality and the elevation of women in public life.

To date, Kylie Minogue has not issued a public response regarding the incident.