World Leader Apologizes After Spicy Podcast Comments on Pop Star

Helle Arensbak / via REUTERSAustralia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been forced to apologize after making an NSFW comment about the country’s most successful pop music export, singer Kylie Minogue. Albanese, 63, was appearing on comedy podcast Bush Deep last week when he was asked to rate Minogue, Nicole Kidman and Australian entertainer Rhonda Burchmore in a game of “shag, marry, date.” The prime minister initially told host, comedian Nikki Osborne, that he was only recently married when she asked him to play. He became the first Australian leader to marry while in office when he wed Jodie Hayden in November last year. Osbourne asked him to “pretend” his marriage had gone “t--s up” for the game. Albanese responded, saying, “Kylie, clearly.” The host said, “You’d marry Kylie, and shag her, and date her?” The prime minister said, “all of the above,” adding, “She’s terrific.” After an online backlash, including from feminist groups calling his comments “degrading,” Albanese’s office released a one-line statement that read, “I apologize unequivocally for the comments.” Melinda Tankard Reist, co-founder of Australian feminist group Collective Shout, told The Australian it did not matter that he was taking part in a comedy podcast. “I don’t care if you’re trying to reach a younger audience,” she said. “It’s beneath him as a man, as a leader of this country especially, and it sets a very bad example. The bar is already low and this has taken it even lower.” Read more at The Daily Beast.