Rhonda Burchmore, a veteran entertainer, has offered Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blunt advice following his appearance on a podcast where he participated in a 'shag, marry, date' game. Albanese was asked to choose between Burchmore, singer Kylie Minogue, and actress Nicole Kidman.
During the game, Albanese initially hesitated but was pressed on what he would do if his marriage were to end. He responded, "Oh, Kylie clearly," and when asked if he would "marry, shag, and date" her, he answered, "All of the above."
Burchmore, who was a participant in the game, stated she nearly spat out her tea upon hearing the Prime Minister's response. She quipped that perhaps Albanese felt "intimidated by tall redheads," referencing herself and Kidman.
Speaking on the program "Today Extra," Burchmore suggested Albanese should be more discerning about his future media engagements. "I think maybe you should choose what podcast you go on in the future and what you're going to say, because that was like, 'Whoa, my gosh,'" she said.
Hosts of "Today Extra" humorously suggested that Albanese might have found Burchmore and Kidman "too much" to handle. Despite not being chosen, Burchmore initially viewed being included in such company as a compliment.
However, the situation took a different turn when her husband called shortly after. "My husband kind of rang and said, 'What the heck?'" she recounted. Burchmore noted the unexpected level of attention the comments generated, stating her phone was "swamped" with inquiries.
Albanese's office issued an apology for the remarks on Monday. "I apologise unequivocally for the comments," a spokesperson stated.
The Prime Minister's comments drew criticism from opposition figures. Opposition frontbencher Sarah Henderson described the remarks as "embarrassing and disrespectful" and called the one-line apology "wholly inadequate." Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson told "Today" that the comments were "disrespectful to all Australian women" and diminished the office of the Prime Minister. Paterson also expressed surprise that senior Labor figures, such as Tanya Plibersek, appeared to support Albanese's conduct.
Plibersek, when asked about the controversy, had stated, "If the Prime Minister is saying that he's a fan of Kylie Minogue, I guess that puts him in a group of other Australians, including me... I'm a big fan of Kylie's as well."