Australian PM apologizes for 'shag, marry, date' podcast comments about Kylie Minogue

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued an unequivocal apology for remarks made on a podcast, where he was asked to choose between "shag, marry, date" for celebrities Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, and Rhonda Burchmore. The Prime Minister's office released a statement addressing the comments.

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I apologise unequivocally for the comments.

During the podcast with host Nikki Osborne, Albanese initially declined to answer the question. However, when pressed on who he would choose if his marriage were to end, he replied, "Oh, Kylie clearly." Osborne further questioned if he would "marry Kylie and shag her and date her?" to which Albanese responded, "All of the above."

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Oh, Kylie clearly.

The comments have drawn criticism, with Community Strong MP Zali Steggall deeming them "entirely inappropriate." Steggall stated that the Prime Minister should have "learn[ed] to push back, lead by example and call it out as sexist."

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All of the above.

However, Minister Tanya Plibersek defended Labor's record on women's equality when questioned about the incident. While she had not heard the full podcast, Plibersek acknowledged that if Albanese expressed being a fan of Kylie Minogue, he would be in the company of millions of Australians, including herself.

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It was entirely inappropriate for the PM to have weighed into a question about who he would "shag, marry, date" in a podcast.