Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued an apology after making a crude remark about singer Kylie Minogue during a comedy podcast interview.
The comments, which surfaced on Monday, prompted immediate backlash from women's rights groups and opposition lawmakers, who criticized the language as inappropriate for a head of government.
Albanese initially declined to answer a hypothetical question posed by host David Osborne, citing his recent marriage.
When pressed to choose between dating, marrying, or sleeping with Minogue, the prime minister replied, "Kylie, clearly." The remark quickly drew condemnation for its objectifying tone, with critics arguing it undermined efforts to promote gender equality and respect in public discourse.
The incident comes at a sensitive time for Albanese, whose administration is already grappling with fallout from a separate privacy scandal.
Ernst & Young recently dismissed multiple graduate employees after allegations emerged that they had accessed the prime minister's personal banking records.