Anthony Albanese has admitted that his controversial appearance on the Bush Deep podcast with comedian Nikki Osborne in June was “an error” and that, if he had his time again, he “wouldn’t have done that podcast”.
The Prime Minister sparked a storm of criticism after he was involved in an innuendo-laden conversation about his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi and her gift of two melons.
Having welcomed Osborne into the Lodge in Canberra, Mr Albanese told the comedian he “got a couple of melons” with his hands cupped in front of his chest, adding “she brought two … and they’re beautiful”.
Mr Albanese also opened up during the podcast about his sex life with new wife Jodie Haydon, revealing a South Sydney Rabbitohs win was a “good aphrodisiac” and admitted in a game of “shag, marry, date” that he would choose Kylie Minogue over Nicole Kidman and Rhonda Burchmore, declaring “she’s terrific”.
“You always need to do better and that’s why initially, I made a very clear and unequivocal apology,” the Prime Minister told the ABC’s 7.30 on Thursday night.
Mr Albanese said, in reflection on his mentor Tom Uren’s advice, he continued to “learn new things every day and to do better each and every day”. When pressed on what he had learned from the appearance on the podcast, he said he had “learned that I need to do better every day, and of course, if I had my time again, which you don’t, then I wouldn’t have done that podcast”.
“We have a view which is trying to talk to as many people as possible, but clearly that was an error,” Mr Albanese said.
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