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 participation in the Bush Deep podcast, hosted by comedian Nikki Osborne, who describes herself as a “wildly inappropriate journalist.”
During the 20-minute interview, the host asked the Prime Minister to participate in a “shag, marry or date” game involving Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, and Rhonda Burchmore. Despite initially attempting to deflect the question by referencing his recent marriage to partner Jodie Haydon, Albanese eventually responded by selecting Minogue for all three categories, describing her as “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 opponents 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 “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
A one line apology from the Prime Minister is wholly inadequate. pic.twitter.com/XizEAwqqm1
— Senator Sarah Henderson (@SenSHenderson) July 6, 2026
Following the public outcry, Albanese released a brief statement on Monday, July 6, confirming that he wished to “apologise unequivocally for the comments.” Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles, speaking on behalf of the government, emphasized their commitment to gender equality, noting that the current administration holds the record for the highest number of women in cabinet positions in Australian history.
As of this writing, Kylie Minogue has not issued a public response to the incident.