Anthony Albanese is in trouble for gesturing with his hands and saying ‘a couple of melons… as you do’
Australia’s prime minister has been criticised for a crude joke he made about his Japanese counterpart and her country’s melons.
Anthony Albanese was asked in a podcast about the worst present he had received overseas, and – after a brief pause – said he had recently received a gift that was “pretty strange but ended up being quite good”.
The gift in question was two royal melons that Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s prime minister, had given to him during her official visit to Australia in May.
During the podcast recording, its host, Nikki Osborne, asked Mr Albanese how Ms Takaichi had been able to “smuggle” the melons through Australian customs.
As she asked the question, Ms Osborne, an Australian comedian, made a gesture with her two hands in front of her chest. The prime minister mimicked the gesture, and joked that Ms Takaichi had brought “a couple of melons… as you do”.
Sanae Takaichi gave prized crown melons to her Australian counterpart on a visit to Australia in May – Getty
In the podcast, which was released in July, Ms Osborne added that Ms Takaichi “came in looking like Pamela Anderson”, to which the Australian prime minister did not object.
The podcast clip came under scrutiny on Monday after Shingo Yamagami, Japan’s former ambassador to Australia, wrote a critical opinion piece.
Mr Yamagami, who served as ambassador to Australia from 2020 to 2023, wrote that Mr Albanese’s joke about Ms Takaichi was “not only ungracious” but it “betrays the close bond of our two nations”.
He wrote that the comments and gestures were “appalling”, as was Mr Albanese’s lack of respect for his country’s melons, saying: “A crown melon is the most prized fruit in Japan and treasured as something special.”
He added that the fruit had been grown in a specially designed greenhouse and cost more than 30,000 yen (£140) each.
Nikki Osborne, a comedian, hosted the Australian prime minister on her podcast in July
Members of Australia’s opposition said Mr Albanese’s remarks were “grubby” and “beneath the office of the prime minister”. Angus Taylor, the opposition leader, said: “They were insulting and the prime minister should make a personal apology.”
This is not the first time Mr Albanese has been criticised for comments in the podcast episode. He was also asked whom he would “shag, marry and date” between Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman and Rhonda Burchmore, the Australian actress.
He hesitated, saying he had been married for only six months, but after Ms Osborne pushed him, he responded with Minogue for “all of the above”. Mr Albanese later issued a one-line response apologising “unequivocally”.
He has not responded to criticism of the joke involving Ms Takaichi or commented on whether any apology had been made directly to her or her country.
