Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stated that his comments and accompanying hand gestures regarding a gift of two melons from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi were misinterpreted. The remarks were made during an interview on the podcast "Bush Deep" with comedian Nikki Osborne, which aired in July.
Albanese had described receiving the "crown melons" from Takaichi during her visit to Australia in May. While recounting the event, he made a gesture with both hands in front of his chest. He has since rejected calls for an apology.
"The interpretation that some have put on this is simply not correct, and the Japanese ambassador has made that clear as well," Albanese told reporters in Canberra on Friday. He added that he is responsible for his own words and noted that no criticism has been directed at his specific phrasing in media coverage.
In the same podcast episode, Albanese also faced criticism for agreeing he would "shag" Australian popstar Kylie Minogue. He issued an apology for these remarks shortly after the podcast was released.
Despite the controversy, Albanese defended his participation in podcasts as part of a broader media engagement strategy. "I do a range of interviews, including, one with Ozzy Man Reviews, who puts words into his videos for animals that are engaging with each other," he said. "In modern media, I talk to a range of people, many of whom I don't agree with everything that they say."
The coverage of the podcast comments led to a letter from Tokyo to Canberra, which reportedly stated that there had been "sensationalised reporting in the Australian media" and that the Japanese government would take no action. This letter was subsequently leaked to media outlets, prompting the opposition coalition to refer the matter to the Australian Federal Police, an action Albanese dismissed as a political maneuver.